Lost Star
by meggomaheggo
Summary: Jump off a cliff, Leah." I wish I could. Leah, from the Eclipse epilogue on, dealing with Sam and Emily, imprint madness, Bella, and Jacob. Earns the M rating more in further chapters. Leah/OC.
1. You Wish

**Disclaimer: Yeah, I'm kind of not Mrs. Meyer, so I don't own any of the characters or the franchise or anything at all really. Read and review por favor? Merci. (Three languages in one post, can I get four? Ita vero.) (Four, sweet.) **

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"Jump off a cliff, Leah."

_I'd just survive. What's the point? I mean, I heal before I can even realize that I'm not dead. You have to have tried by now. You know how well that works, Jacob Black._

"You have to be the most self-absorbed person alive, Leah. I'd hate to shatter the dream world you live in --- the one where the sun is orbiting the place where you stand --- so I won't tell you how little I care what your problem is. Go. Away."

_If I could go away from this all I would, you bastard. To have all of you inside of my head. To be in YOURS, your stupid, blind brain._

"If I pretend to listen, will you leave?"

_You wish. Everybody wishes. Even him...Sam._

"Do I care?"

_Do I care if you care? I can't force myself out of werewolfism, so you have to deal with me, no matter what happens._ I smirked.

"Shut up."

_No. Not until you get Bella-Fucking-Swan --- almost Cullen --- out of my sex dreams. I have enough shit to worry about without your hopeless cause invading my brain. I hope the leech kills her. I can see what a funeral that would make. Closed casket of course. You phasing all over the place and mauling Charlie._

I watched him struggle to not phase. I grinned roughly. About time someone else had issues with their temper. I was getting tired of bursting out of my clothes like Paul did --- constantly.

"If you're upset about gender confusion, Leah, how do you think the rest of us like looking at Sam through your eyes? It's bad enough that Emily has to deal with your fixation. She doesn't need us guys panting after him, too."

_W...why would you---say that---_ My teeth ground together as every cell in my body filled with the now familiar flood of angry, tearing heat. I scrambled to my feet, trying not to scream. I spat instead, tearing myself away from the conflict before I blew our cover.

"You missed."

He thought I hadn't heard that one, bolting away in desperation before I exploded.

Jake's words cycled through my head as I phased, letting the crushing anger and pain vibrate me out of human existence. Mom was going to be angry with me, she'd had to replace all of my bras as it was and I was shredding another one. Between me and Seth we'd probably drained our college funds in clothes money. I felt bad, but Mom was very calm about the whole situation and bought pajamas and sweatpants in extreme bulk for both of us. I felt the fragile threads tear, sending shorts and camisole into a haze of fluff in my wake. My bangs flipped back and forth over my eyes, the wind currents disrupting even my courser wolf fur. I still occasionally mourned the loss of my waist length hair, when I felt like my more important problems deserved a rest from my obsession. For christ's sake, my hair was almost shorter than Jacob's. But it felt too good to have my claws tearing though the earth, and nothing, bloodsucker or Jake or animal, could catch me. I felt Quil and Embry in the distance, their confusion and exasperation as I intruded on what was a private, 'no-girls-allowed' conversation. Embry was thinking about a girl he'd made out with last week, and Quil was trying to convince him that he didn't care and it felt weird to think about making out with people when he couldn't kiss Claire. He'd already had the same Bella-kissing dream I'd had, but it revolted him even more than it sickened me because of his imprint on Claire. I was merely in love, he was bonded. I knew they didn't want me here, didn't want my admittedly venomous thoughts plaguing their psyches, but I was more concerned with the fact that Sam was wolf too. Helplessly, I drifted into his mind, letting my addiction-like pain wash over the entire mental link as I saw him starting to follow after me through his eyes. I bolted faster, not even feeling the pads of my feet hit the ground.

_Stop Sam_, I shrieked, just stop. In addition to my mental protestation,_ I growled loudly_.

Quil snarkily commented to Embry that I was probably PMSing, and Embry laughed once before they both quieted in the force of my intense rage. I let out a stream of mixed curse words in their general direction. Didn't those _bitch-ass boys_ realize that that was impossible in my current state? That my genetic dead end life prevented that? That no one could or would imprint on me --- let alone WANT me --- ever? My thoughts were quickly reaching an atom cloud of hysteria. I tried to push my feet faster, drawing on my energy reserves to make my muscles move so fast that I was a gray blur, and I could barely see straight through tears and wind.  
_Damn, Leah's fast_, Embry said as Quil broadcasted his agreement. My smugness that would have normally accompanied this statement didn't come, kept at bay by the boulder of sadness that filled my entire brain, and therefore Sam, Quil, and Embry's brains, too. As much as I wanted them to leave me alone, it gave me a savage sort of happiness that they could feel a fraction of my unending torture. I kept running, trying to rein in my thoughts and wanting to talk to Mom. She at least could empathize, being an elder, and knowing the full truth and more. The guys panicked whenever I even considered the fact that I didn't get my period anymore. If I stayed wolf like I was supposed to, until the vamps were gone, then I wouldn't get a chance at a normal life. Ever. I didn't want to get pregnant immediately, of course, but the image of a little boy with Sam's eyes and Seth's lips curled up in my arms was irresistable. And a girl, my long hair with Emily's curls, in a light green dress tiptoeing along the edge of the grass towards her snoring, fluffy haired twin. Them phasing would be painful for me (it would be impossible for them not to shape shift with their bloodlines), but again, the image of two dusty brown wolves bolting around and playing was too beautiful of an image to ignore. Sam and I watching them as they played. Sam, Leah, Alex, and Lily. The sequence struck a happy, humming chord in my mind.  
I realized with hopeless rage that I'd been broadcasting my stupid fantasies along all channels, and I snarled shrilly, both mentally and physically. My walls were up and firm again, solid as stone, solid as the sinews that creaked as I huffed in and out. Each breath was painful, each step jarred my pounding head beyond endurance.  
_  
I'm sick of this shit_, I hissed to no one in particular, and I tossed my head, trying to shake the problems I didn't have time for out of my cranium. I swerved to the left, practically flying. I couldn't ever remember moving this fast.

_Leah_, Sam thought softly, but I ignored him as I ran, full tilt, towards a large tree. The boys' shock and alarm reached me as they saw my trajectory, but I lept upwards at the last second, my claws grinding deep into the bark of the tree.

For a half a second, I was running straight up. _Fuck gravity_, I thought, baring my teeth in a wolf grin.

Then I sprang off of the trunk and onto a wide, overhanging bough, about thirty feet off of the ground. The branch trembled for a moment and I crouched low, paws gripping, waiting for the tremors to stop. When they did, I laid down and, my triumph over physics aside, descended into my misery again. The thoughts around me swirled and shifted; Quil's bewilderment, Embry's eagerness to try my trick (he wasn't nearly fast enough, I'd wiped out about seventy times before succeeding), Sam's concern for me twisted up with his omnipresent adoration for Emily and his attempts to hide it from me.

I howled, my voice earsplitting and heartbreaking even to me, even though I was used to my own pain.

_Please, Leah,_ Sam thought. _Please. Tell me what I can do. _I hated his pity so much, it made me sick that he wanted me to just go away but couldn't help feeling sorry for me.

_You can go to hell, Sam. And you can not follow me, because I'm phasing back and I shredded out of my clothes. You want a quick thrill, go find a strip club or fuck my cousin._Before any of them could reply, I was human again, slumped uncomfortably against the branch. I wasn't cold, thanks to the whole 108 degrees body temp thing, but I was just uncomfortable being naked in the woods. It had this whole 'I just lost my virginity in a really embarrassing way' feel to it. I straightened up slightly and curled into a ball, staring broodingly out through the branches.

It was now I started to miss my dad again.

The guilt came crushing down and I howled, humanly this time, into my arms. Tears streamed into my hands, my head pounding with heat and anger and blood. Stupid Leah, the genetic freak, the girl-wolf, the murderer.

--- I felt disgustingly hot and unwell as I dropped my bag by the back door. Dad was on the porch and I went to sit by him. He smiled at me, and I smiled unhappily back.

"Come on, Lee, help me get my tackle box out of the truck?" he said, smiling his wrinkly smile. I stood, the heat throbbing to my head as I moved. When the red metal box was in my hand, I handed it to him. His hand grabbed mine on the handle, and he jumped back as if electrified by my heat. He looked at me, clearly bewildered.

"Leah---"

And then the world ended.

I explosively combusted in a ball of gray fur, the battered tackle box falling from my hands --- my paws --- Everything was wrong, I was blind and everything hurt, there were voices telling me things but I couldn't focus on them ---

And then Dad, slumped on the ground, no --- I ran, unable to help him and unable to believe my stupidity. Straight to my tree, I ran straight up for the first time and landed on the branch, panting and trembling and threatening to break the tree into so much ancient mulch. I howled, then I jumped from the tree, not trying to catch myself, wishing I would die.

_Take me_, my mind screamed,_ God please take me. Leave Dad, and take me if there is any such thing as decency in the world. _I landed on my ribs and one foreleg, and after they creaked for a moment, I was fine. Unharmed.

I knew then that there was no hope, and that made me desperate to phase back, desperate to see my dad before he died. I ran as fast as I could while I was still wolf, and I skidded into my back door as the heat cooled and my spine straightened erect. I was inside before anyone had the chance to look around at the bare-assed girl breaking into her own house. Mom and Seth were gone with Dad, so I pulled on the first clothes I could find. I fixed my pants, which I now realized were gray sweats, so that my ass wasn't hanging out of them. My shirt was a pale blue, I noticed dully as I whimpered, wiping my eyes on the long blue sleeves. I ran out the door and bolted straight into Sam as I headed out of the door. I looked at him, wild eyed. He ushered me into his car quickly, and I climbed into the passenger seat and burst into tears. Paul, Jared and Embry were crushed into the back, staring at me uncomfortably and filled with worry. Embry somehow extricated his arm and rubbed his hand soothingly over my back. I nodded at him, then stared tensely out of the window as Sam sped along the highway ---

I wrenched myself back to the present day, struggling to ice the heat that was rushing to my temples. My trembling was shaking the entire tree, but I closed my eyes and took a breath laden with woody smells.

I smelled Jacob, and the heat burst into flame.

I was a wolf again, and I tumbled out of my crying tree, onto the soft mossy floor. I sprang to my feet, shaking myself in one smooth motion. I probed the mental link. Only Jacob, and he was running, running, far and fast and steady, his pain rebounding along the link, turning wolfy, something less complex but easier to justify and handle. I was confused, but I heard Sam say, as he phased back to human form, _Come back when you can..._I stayed silent and Jake ignored me. I just kept moving, nearing home as fast as I could. Which was fast, given my prodigious speed. Glancing around for anyone who might see, I snuck into my yard sheepishly and took the emergency clothes Mom always left under the bench for me and Seth. Holding them gingerly in my teeth, I slunk back into the woods where I intended to phase in peace, leaving Jacob alone with his journey. We still didn't consciously speak, although I couldn't block him out and I caught snatches of unfamiliar trees streaming past at a rapid rate.

And I felt his pain, so much like mine, only somehow easier for me to cope with than my own. It all came down to doomed love.

_I know_, Jacob thought quietly to me.

_I'm sorry_, I thought back, surprisingly sincere, _No one should feel this way.__Cheers.__She's really going to marry him._ I stated it, because it was true, but I couldn't hold back my wounded whimper when I compared it to my own plight. Like Sam and Emily.

I felt him spasm, his muscles locking up as he ran, making him stumble to the ground and lay there, beaten.

_...Yeah. She loves him. And he gets her. I'm not sure how that's fair.__Imagine life being fair. We wouldn't have our hearts ripped out bleeding like they are._ It felt weird using the pack plural when it was only two of us, but we were internally identical right now.

There was some silence while Jake picked himself carefully back up and ran faster. I sat, head on paws, watching him. My clothes lay beside me in a crupmled, slightly tooth bitten pile.

_Yeah, Leah. Thanks. I'm sorry.__I am too. For both of us.__Sure, sure._ Even in his head, the words were wrong, laced with pain and dark humor. _Okay, I admit, it sucks to be you._I snorted. _Yes, I do believe it does._ I let a gusty breath blow out through my teeth.

_I know I'm hard to live with_, I continued hesitantly,_ especially since there's no way to escape from everything, not even for a while. I guess being ---_ I searched for the right word ---

_Bitchy?_I rolled my eyes at him, but conceded._ Yeah. Bitchy is my catharsis. Maybe I thrive on other people's misery._I pondered that thought, miserable myself that I was such a hatable person.

_Nah, Leah, I think you just need to make sure that other people get sad sometimes, too. Being alone --- generally --- people get scared. No one wants to live alone. Well..._ he paused. _I might, __for a while._My shock registered in his mind and he snorted slightly. I didn't speak, and neither did he. Our sorrows seemed to have melded, splitting and reforming as half-and-half. It made it easier to deal with, weirdly, having someone else's problem to carry that was the same as your own.

_Good luck, Jake. _

And I left him running away.

* * *

Oui?


	2. Sunshines and Monsters

**I don't own Twilight, sillies. **

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"Seth, you are a freak of nature," I sneered at him.

"Says the girlie-wolf," he said. His innocent, optimistic aura was not quite enough to keep me from throwing a spoon at the back of his head. It ricocheted off of his skull, bouncing onto the table and shattering my glass of water.

"Shit," I snarled, grabbing a dishtowel. Seth leaned against the fridge, looking at me with mild amusement as I mopped the table and one of my legs, which had been doused. I swept the glass into my hand, feeling a cut open up and close again before I could look at it. I threw away the fragments, flexing my cut hand to make sure there wasn't any glass in it. It seemed fine, so I picked up my spoon.

"You kind of deserved that," he remarked blithely. I sighed. It was pretty impossible to be angry with him for long, cheerful little son-of-a-gun. And he looked so adorable, in his only nice shirt and pants. Too bad he was going somewhere where they would get all icy-cold-disgusting. I couldn't begin to fathom what made my little brother willing to go into the lion's den, to risk going to Bella Swan's wedding. More like her yay-you're-almost-a-bloodsucker sending-away party. I shuddered; the thought of willingly letting a vamp put its foul, freezing mouth near me, trusting love to save her from being sucked dry ---

And even though her choices were wrong, stupid, even suicidal --- I envied her. Her sureness in her icy cold lover, her solid belief in the fairness and ideals of life. I sighed. And Jake had wondered why I had reacted to his Bella-dream the way I had. I loathed her too much to bear the gender confusion.

Well, Seth was going to have to strip outside; I wasn't dealing with that stench in my own house. Our own house, I amended as I looked at his lanky figure. He practically filled the kitchen, and he had to scrunch a little to lean on the fridge and not hit the ceiling. He was just too fragile, too cute, not meant to suffer the pain of this world. My anger melted, I teased him half-heartedly.

"A little," I admitted, "But I'm telling Mom you broke the glass, since it was your head." I held up the spoon, which was bent and dented. "I'm blaming you for the spoon, too." He scrunched up his face at me.

"It was your spoon!"

"Your werewolf skull."

"Your arm that threw it!"

"Your antagonizing remarks, which hurt me deeply inside," I said. I liked how he got more wound up in arguments as I got calmer. It was a nice contrast.

"Enough, you two," Mom called, gliding down the stairs. She was wearing her old, dark green dress. I hadn't seen her wear it in years. Looking at her again, she didn't exactly look old, just...worn out. Between being the only werewolf-mom (which meant the obligatory cooking when Emily was busy or I wasn't around), managing the photo store, and dealing with my frequent temper tantrums and psychological crises, she had to be pretty beat. I hadn't thought about it in a while, but, while being a wolf was difficult, being around them --- much more so. I avoided thinking of the obvious case of Emily, because she had Sam to make up for it. My stomach twisted painfully.

"Remember, Leah, Quil's dropping off Claire in twenty minutes," my mom said, brushing her hands along Seth's hair. It was hopelessly fluffy. Like his personality. Mom kissed me on the head. Seth was already half out the door, calling a half articulated goodbye. They had to pick up Billy, and Seth didn't want to be late.

"Gotcha," I mumbled. Quil had taken over Seth's patrol, and Emily had dragged Claire's mother to Port Angeles, and was doing something un-wolfy for once. Claire was a good kid, though. She was fun enough to be around. For an imprint-ee, anyway. Better than Kim, who was just not exactly bright, and Emily --- I forced myself to stop thinking about imprints. It was just depressing.

The house was too empty without Seth's happy presence and Mom's soothing aura. There was too much space in my head without the noise of someone doing something. I could hear to the ocean if I focused, but why embrace the wolfy power when I was trying to pretend I had normal, solvable problems? I again dragged my mind from the more bitter aspects, planning an afternoon with Claire instead. Spaghetti for dinner. I stood softly, opening the cabinet. Good, Seth hadn't eaten ALL of the spaghetti. Even minus one member, I thought glumly, werewolves could sure eat someone out of house and home.

I worried a little about Jake as I pulled chopmeat and garlic out of the fridge. We knew he was physically fine, at least. He couldn't block our minds. I hadn't checked in today, but he'd been heading closer and closer to Forks. He was about seventy miles away last night, by our imprecise reckoning. I sliced onions on autopilot, my head filled with abstract, morose thoughts. The meat and onions and garlic smelled tasty. I dumped a jar of tomato sauce into the pan, stirring it vaguely. The big pot was wedged under the sink. I sighed, crouching to open the cabinet. Pulling on the pot's handle gently, the dented silver thing came out --- along with about thirty other pans that collapsed onto the floor. I rolled backwards onto my ass until my head cracked against the table leg. The table trembled sadly for a minute, then seemed to sigh, resigning itself to continued abuse-by-werewolves. I glanced around, wondering if some bitchy deity of slapstick was hovering in the living room, chuckling at me. I growled grumpily.

Ding dong, doorbell.

Quil was overreacting --- per usual.

"And she's allergic to cranberries," he said --- again --- as he smoothed her hair. Claire was happily kicking a shoe by the door.

"Quil, we don't own any cranberry products," I said for the third time.

"Oh, alright," he said, thrown by my statement. He turned to the ferocious three year-old beating up a sneaker and smiled. That same, practically brainless smile that about half of the pack was wearing nowadays. I turned away as he scooped her into his arms, hugging her just tightly enough to be both comfortable and reassuring. Any harder, and her ribs would have complained.

"Qwil come back soon?" Claire said, touching his nose.

"Tomorrow, Claire-bear," he said. The way he said it, I knew he thought that was too long to wait. My heart sputtered slightly in angst and regret. Claire sighed dramatically.

"Okaaaaaaay," she said, flashing her tiny white teeth at him. She kissed him on the cheek.

Quil's glow was disgusting.

"Remember ---" he started, walking slowly to the back door.

"There are no cranberries in a five-mile radius, Quil." My voice was flat and dead.

"Oh. Sure." He paused, smiling goofily. "See you, Leah."

"Check on ---" I glanced at Claire to make sure she was occupied with tangling some innocent laces, then mouthed 'Jacob', "--- will you? See where he is." He nodded.

"Sure thing." He darted onto my porch and out of sight.

"So, Claire," I started, smiling at her, "Are you ready for some spaghetti?"

"Yes yes, Lee-Lee! Yes!" she shrieked. I laughed, scooping her onto my back. She clung there; she was used to hanging on Quil's back/shoulders as he carted her around. One hand steadying her, I strained the spaghetti. The pot would have felt heavy, or at least unwieldy, before I turned wolf. Now, I dumped the pot one-handed, barely distinguishing the hot metal from the cooler handle.

"Butter or sauce?" I said, ladling a plate.

"Butter!" she said, taking a handful of my hair. I set her down on the chair I'd vacated previously. I smirked at her gently as I placed a bowl of pasta in front of her, to her delight. She picked up her slightly-too-large-for-her-hands fork. Slurping spaghetti, she grinned at me. I couldn't help but smile seriously back.

"Claire," I said, "Do you know you're adorable?"

"Yep," she said, spaghetti dangling on her chin, "Qwilly tells me so. A lot," she emphasized. I laughed, but my heart twisted feebly under my reinforced ribcage.

"Did he go to your house today?"

"Yep," she said, then turned away and sighed. She looked like she understood everything in the pack much better than I did, and was mourning it all with that one breath. "Daddy doesn't like Quilly. 'snot fair."

"Your mama likes him," I said slowly. She giggled.

"Momma yelled at Quilly for makin a mez of my toys."

"But," I said, still confused as to where she was taking the conversation, "Your mama likes Quil." She shrugged. "Momma looks at us. Daddy is grumbly when Quilly's playin."

"Well," I said, moving closer to her, "Your mom is Emily's sister, you know." She knew about imprinting, sort of. She'd seen the effects, I thought bitterly.

"I nooo, Lee-Lee," Claire said, "Daddy is mad at Quil."

"Quil didn't do anything wrong!" I said, indignant. I took a deep breath. "And your daddy knows that. He just...doesn't understand."

"I howp he unnerstans soon," she said, sniffling, "I don' want Quilly to leave."

"Now Claire, let's set one thing straight," I said, looking at her teary brown eyes, "Quil is not leaving. Ever. He can't." She continued to snuffle.

"Claire," I murmured softly, "You are his sunshine."

She looked up at me, eyes a little happier.

"Sunshine? Really?"

"Honest and for true, Claire-bear," I said, pushing her bangs out of her face. She brightened visibly, then her brow inexplicably furrowed, eyes pitying and sad again.

"Lee-Lee? Do you have a sunshine?"

I sighed, deflating sadly, thinking of a different voice calling me 'Lee-Lee'. The pain radiated outward from my core, leeching through my lungs and to the very edges of my fingertips. Even a baby could see that I was broken, incomplete. I wondered if, with all of my super monster powers, if my heart was strong enough to sustain my existence for more than a few years. If I was a genetic dead end, my heart could give out. I sighed quietly. I had something to look forward to.

_Who would fardels bear_, I thought unhappily, _to grunt and sweat under a weary life, but for the fear of what comes after death, that undiscovered country from whose born no traveler returns, puzzles the will..._Please, I would take whatever death had to offer. It couldn't be worse than this. Hell, maybe it could. Maybe I just wanted a change of fuckin' scenery in my torture chamber. But I just --- wouldn't --- die. So I wouldn't find out. I wasn't even sure if I could shoot myself. If they took the bullet out, and tied me down so I couldn't move to kill myself again, I wasn't so sure I would die.

"Leeeeee?" Claire said, snapping me out of my self-centered daze. She was standing tiptoed on her chair, waving a hand in front of my face as I stared off.

"Leeeaah, you brokeded the taybulllll." I looked at my hand, weirdly stingy and randomly filled with what looked like pencil shavings. I looked from my hand to the hole in the table's surface, not making the connection.

"Oh..." I trailed off, not wanting to break into a stream of inventive cursing in front of Claire. I let the fragments fall from my fingers to the table, watching my hand heal over the splinter marks. She touched my arm with a slimy hand.

"Pay 'tenshun, Lee-Lee," she scolded me, plopping back down in front of her half-empty bowl. A stingy twinge went through me at the nickname.

Act human, Lee-Lee, I thought, chewing on the inside of my cheek. Be Claire's big sister, properly, for once. I forced my mental walls up, keeping my emo-tastic brain locked up while I ran on childish instinct.

"Hurry up, Claire-bear! We've got so much stuff to play!" I ruffled her hair, teasing it into a tiny static-fro. "What do you want to play first?"

"Iiiiiii want to plaaaaaaaay monsters!" she squealed, clapping her hands.

"Okay," I said, smirking, "Are you going to be Quil?" She laughed, then growled at me. I took that as a yes. I pursed my lips, still smiling. I didn't want to pretend to be a bloodsucker; sensitive topic.

"Okay, Claire, I'm going to be..." I paused, ducking underneath the table, then springing out again and grabbing her up, "A SEA MONSTER!"

I snarled my scariest at her and she shrieked happily.

I'd tired Claire out nicely, and she was propped on some pillows on the couch, dozing slightly. I'd moved over to the sink, filling the dishwasher and sipping some orange juice.

"Lee-Lee?" she called.

"Yes, honey?" I answered, voice soft as I moved silently closer to the living room, peering at her. She was pouting, her brow furrowed.

"I miz Unca Jay." I froze, my mouth falling open, then slowly closing as I contemplated the child before me. The clunking buzz of the dishwasher was eerie in the sudden silence. She didn't need to be involved in this madness, this shit that was ripping La Push apart. She was, but she was a random event thrown in, changing the dynamic. If Emily hadn't dragged her much older sister down for a day, then there would be no imprinted Quil. No sad Claire. One less thing to bear, one less life to possibly ruin.

"I miss him too, Claire-bear." I sighed.

"When he comin home?" she said, lip quivering. I stood and cradled her in my arms.

"I don't know, Claire. I think soon." I hushed her, rocking her gently in the small, warm living room. It was a few minutes before her snuffles stopped, then she grew quieter, resting on my shoulder...then she was asleep. I moved a pillow from the couch, wiggling her into it, tucking a blanket around her before she could realize that her heat source had moved. I stroked her forehead, the lines smoothing as she fell deeper into the less demanding world of dreams. I closed my eyes wearily, my hand on Claire's head, trying not to think...

What woke me first was the howl, so loud, so full of unadulterated pain --- One of my brothers was dying.

"Leah!"

I startled awake, feeling Claire shudder next to me, then jerk awake, crying.

"Mom?" I said, disoriented. She tore into the living room, still in her fancy clothes. "What is it?" I said, as Claire clung to my arm, whimpering.

"Lee-Lee, bad dream," she wailed, "Qwilly and Jay were weally mad, and it was scary." She buried her face in my chest.

"She's not far off," my mom said harshly, scooping the child from my lap, "You've got to phase, now. Jacob's back." I sat bolt upright. "He went to the wedding"

"Shit," I swore.

"Watch your language," Mom snapped anxiously, "There are children present. Now go, honey." I stripped out of my shirt --- I liked this one --- and dropped it, already on the porch. I sprinted to the woods, tore off my clothes, leaving them in a pile. Then I let my anguish boil up my spine, shaking me apart ---

And I was running, absorbing as much as I could. Seth was trying to keep Jacob from tearing apart the forest, with Sam and Quil. They were by the freeway, and I threw myself forward, feeling Jacob's borderline-insanity as he looked for a way past the ring that the other three had formed around him. Escape was the only thing on his mind. And he kept screaming something about an 'eclipse'.

_Oh hell no, Jacob_, I thought, _you are_ not_ leaving again. _

_Go away, Leah, you stupid frigid bitch_, he hissed, _I don't care about how you 'know what I'm going through'. You don't, that is a BULLSHIT LIE._ He turned desperate, howling again. _He's going to kill her! They want to have sex, but she's still fucking human! HE'LL KILL HER! HE'LL CRUSH HER LIKE A FUCKING PAPER DOLL!_

Jacob was dying. He finally collapsed, almost sobbing, but snarling at anyone who tried to come close. He was terrifying in his hysteria, the biggest wolf of all, on an emotional rampage.

_Sam,_ I thought, the first direct thing I'd thought to him in months. _Sam, can you give him an edict or something? _

_No_, he said sadly, _it would make it worse, and it might drive him insane._

I finally got to where the others stood, circled around Jake, who was convulsing on the ground. I couldn't stand it. I took a step forward, anger hardening my mind. Bella had made her choice. We knew what that meant. I felt for Jake, and it was tearing me apart to see him lying defeated, but this was too much. He wasn't going to die over some stupid, leech-loving, weak girl.

_JACOB BLACK,_ I screamed at him, _GET THE FUCK ON YOUR FEET._ His hackles raised, instinct rising in place of his rapidly disintegrating mindset. _YOU HEARD ME,_ I said, stepping forward and snarling loudly at him, _GET UP._ My teeth flashed white in the reflection from his large black eyes. I caught an image from Seth, showing me, fiercely standing up to the giant russet wolf. I was about half of his size, he was almost my height lying down as he was. I cursed my girl genes that made me so much shorter than the others.

_You're brave, Leah, but be careful, _Seth whined softly.

_Make me_, Jake said, teeth bared.

_Gladly_, I hissed, springing at him. He reacted, on his feet in a second, butting my face away from his shoulder. My teeth closed with a grinding snap, and Sam barked at the both of us. We froze, automatically, but we still glared at each other, hostility rolling off of us.

_What is your problem, Leah?_ Jacob snarled.

_My problem is that you've got a responsibility, Jake._ I narrowed my eyes at him, derision coloring my thoughts. _You're a part of this pack. You're the second. You can't go running off again like the weak little puppy that you are._ I snorted. _And you with your bloodline, I'd have figured you'd have been made of stronger stuff._

His growl deepened, and he took a step toward me, lowering his head to my height. He moved closer so our noses were almost touching, letting his broken heart translate into wrath and sheer power. I balked automatically, jerking my neck back and taking a backwards step. He bared his teeth, halfway between a smile and a grimace. He took some steps back, responding to a warning growl from Sam.

_Cut it out, you two_, he said. _Since he's leaving before he_ --- he stuttered mentally --- _changes her, there's nothing we can do._

Jacob turned to him, eyes wide.

_What the hell are you talking about, Sam?_ He blinked, not fully understanding.

_She made her decision_, Sam continued unhappily, _we can't stop her, and we won't be able to follow them. _

Jacob looked at him for another minute, everyone silently watching. No discernible thoughts went through his head, but eventually he just turned and walked out of the circle. It was dead quiet until we heard him phase.

_Quil, Embry_, Sam said, and they nodded. Jacob couldn't be allowed to do anything stupid, like he was bound to try. They bounded off after him, and we felt them phase shortly when they found Jake lying prone on the ground, not dead, but horror movie zombified. We all twitched, shying away from the horrible image.

After a while, there was nothing else to be said.

I looked at Seth, and we started walking back home, not talking. I'd thought Jake and I were on, if not friendly, at least cordial terms. This had killed any chance of that. I shuddered, thinking of the loathing that would be radiating off of him whenever I was near. Well, tough titties, Jacob.

_Yeah_, Seth thought glumly,_ I don't want to see his face the next time he sees you._

_Me either_, I sighed back, watching my mother pace the porch as she waited for us, _me either_.

* * *

Review and respond, the next chapter might take a little while, but it'll be shorter. Remember, I'm following the basic plotline, so you could guess where I'm going next. We're going to move to the first chapter of Jacob in Breaking Dawn for the next bit.


	3. Mental Hell

**All characters of Twilight property of Stephenie Meyer, you know the drill. Thanks to my reviewers, and sorry if the spacing/spelling is sub par, it's like 4 AM. ~Athene**

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I dragged myself to my feet, rubbing my eyes. At least it was summer, so I didn't have to pretend like I was cold wearing shorts. I stumbled out of bed, dragging my fuzzy blanket with me, once about three times my length, now the proper size. My Granny had knitted it for me when I was young, and I'd grown into it in recent years --- well, months.

With a sense of delayed realization, it occurred to me that she might have made it extra large in case any werewolves showed up and needed a proper sized blanket. I stopped on the stairs, stunned by this sudden revelation. Had she forseen something? My wolfish destiny? Had there been a choice, was it really the trigger that mattered? Well, really, bloodsuckers were needed for the transformation, but had Granny accounted for the variables? I'd been a fast growing kid. I'd had temper tantrums, even worse (I was told) than Seth's. Seth had been a boy who knew how to cause a scene, even trembling like he was having a seizure when he --- I gasped --- got angry enough.

I shook my head. Too much, too much.

The aformentioned Seth tripped over me, pushing me down half a flight of steps. He blinked owlishly at me as I landed silently on the balls of my feet, wobbling for a moment before turning to stare up at him.

"W-w-why'd you stop on the stairs?" he mumbled, yawning.

"I got confused," I muttered back, dragging the blanket over my shoulders. "What time is it anyway?"

"I think it's like six," he said, fighting back a yawn as he brushed past me. I heard the sounds of cereal being poured.

"Morning or night?"

"Night," he called.

"That makes things easier," I sighed. No need to mope until the next shift started. "Pour me some corn flakes?"

I heard the cereal hit another bowl.

Seth was a pretty good kid.

After a very satisfying shower, Seth and I set out on patrol. Jake was still around, but he was still dying. Paul imprinting on Rachel hadn't helped anything either, although I'm not sure he planned it. I grimaced. Stupid lovesick bonded...stupid.

I phased, then trotted up to Seth, nudging him as he shook his head with sleep.

_Come on, boy, let's go._

_Alright, alright,_ he grumbled.

I took off like a shot toward where Sam and the rest of the pack were, trying to catch up on the conversation.

_Wait,_ I thought slowly as I got the gist, _Jacob went somewhere?_

He went looking for Bella, Sam said, He took Billy's phone cord, that's why we just found out. He was trying to remain calm.

_So that's where Mom was,_ Seth thought quietly, _she had to go tell Emily. _

_Shut it, Seth. Oh god,_ I groaned, _we can't go after him, we'll get killed. _

_Oh come on Leah_, Seth interjected, _It's not like the Cullens don't know Jake's a wolf, and they wouldn't hurt him. Or us,_ he ammended.

_Shut up, Seth._ The chorus was now becoming familiar.

_Forgive me for not being so sure,_ I said sarcastically.

_It's not gonna go well when he sees her_, Embry said solemnly. I started.

_Wait, she's actually back? Is she ---_

_Not sure,_ Jared cut me off quickly, _But since she's talked to Charlie, she's...lucid at least._ I wrinkled my nose in thought as I reached the pack where it was gathered.

_So now it's a waiting game_, I said, looking at my brothers, skipping over one. Seth finally caught up and moved in beside me, panting lightly.

I did some quick calculations, looking around at the boys. Paul, Quil, Embry, Seth, Colin, Brady, Jared...Sam...and I.

Four imprints, four kids...and me. Eternally the odd girl out.

I tried to clear my head, and I laid down, nose on paws, to wait. We were silent for a long while, each with our own thoughts. Paul finally stood.

_I'm going back to Rachel, she and Billy are going to need to know when he gets back._ He stared at us glumly. _I hope he's back soon, it's getting late._ We nodded as one.

Sam quietly thought about possible strategies if Jake didn't come back soon. Jared would be his second, they would divide by ability and go half to the Cullens', half to La Push.

I tuned out the boy's chatter about something or other, wondering if I would fall asleep.

I didn't get a chance.

_Jake!_ Everyone called in relief as we felt him phase. Paul sighed, then went to tell Rachel and Billy that Jake wasn't vamp food.

Jacob ripped into the tense atmosphere, his brain spitting out random images.

Bella, her stomach bulging strangely, twisted and pale, looking like a corpse. A beautiful blonde parasite crouching in front of Bella's stomach, willing to defend her. Edward, on the ground writhing in agony.

I knew what happened before any of the boys got it.

Bella. Was. Pregnant. With a vampire child.

As soon as I realized it, unintentionally broadcasting, a wordless roar of shock blotted out all thought.

I couldn't really follow what led to the next part, but we were all on the exact same thought wave.

_How can this be? What does it mean? What will it be?_

Not safe. Not right. Dangerous.

Sam started growling, and we followed, all except for Jacob and Seth, who collapsed in the middle of our pacing circle.

_We can't allow it._

The treaty does not cover this.

This puts everyone in danger.

Flashes of Bella and Edward, the former bruised, the latter terrified.

_They fear it, too._ I snarled a little louder.

But they won't do anything about it.

Protecting Bella Swan.

_We can't let that influence us._  
I felt Jake becoming even more confused, but it was overwhelmed by the intense pack unity.

The safety of our families, of everyone here, is more important than one human.

_If they won't kill it, we have to._  
The other thoughts swelled around my brain, strategizing that I didn't care about. I would follow Sam's order gladly, and help get rid of the Cullen infestation. Jake and Seth stood.

Protect the tribe. Protect our families.

We have to kill it before it's too late.

_Wait,_ Jacob thought, unsteady on his feet. We paused for a second, everybody staring at him as though he had ordered us to, Alpha style. Then we continued in our circle.

Jake started pleading with Sam. My hackles raised. He hated the stupid vampire child with the same fervor as the rest of us, maybe more...But he was abandoning his job, his birthright, again, by sticking up for that idiotic Swan girl.

_Remember the newborn vampires we fought? Wild, violent, beyond the reach of reason or restraint._ Sam was scathingly looking at Jacob, who was taller than him. _Imagine one like that,_ he spat, _but protected by the Cullens.  
_  
_We don't know ---_ Jacob started desperately.

_We don't know,_ Sam said back, _And we can't take chances._ They continued, but the hate seething in my head blotted out the conversation.

Who was Jacob to protect a vampire ally? My growl stopped, but I glared at Jake with all of my intensity.

_It's just a BABY, for crying out loud!_ He finally shouted.

_Not for long,_ I hissed. I pulled up an image of Bella before. If she'd been married --- what, a month? The thing was growing too quickly to waste time.

_We can't take that chance,_ Sam continued, _We won't allow a blood drinker to hunt on our lands. _

_Then tell them to leave,_ whimpered Seth.

_And inflict the menace on others?_ Jacob had to admit, Sam had a point. Well, he should have admitted it. But he was past logic, his sickening love for the almost-vampire was clouding his judgement --- probably fatally at this point.

_I can't believe this!_ Jacob said, dumbfounded, still missing something crucial. _How're you going to kill this creature without killing Bella? _

Silence.

I smirked, my canine teeth bared. Jacob howled, his thoughts screaming.

_She's human, too! Doesn't our protection apply to her?_

_She's dying anyway,_ I snapped, _We'll just shorten the process. _

Jake snarled insanely, sounding more like a crack of thunder than a wolf, and lunged toward me. I flinched away, but Sam dug his teeth into Jake's hide and dragged him back, ordering him to stop. With the Alpha command, everyone in the pack seemed momentarily dazed.

My heart throbbed uselessly. It was like Sam was saving me because he loved me. Except for the fact that he didn't. Jake wobbled on his feet. Sam stared directly into my eyes, and my breath caught in my throat. He was a magnificent Alpha, and I was his tagalong pest.

_You will not be cruel to him, Leah._ The command had me nodding slightly, but my head was full of longing. I would happily do anything --- if he would look at me like he did Emily.

_We will all mourn for what we do tonight_, he finished, the weight of his words making him seem slighly shorter, slightly more weary.

_Tonight?_ Seth said. He didn't get it. The thing needed to be killed!

_We can't afford your tolerance for the Cullens now. There is no time for debate. You will do as you are told, Seth._

My baby brother's legs buckled, and he fell to the ground. I whimpered lightly.

I watched Seth as Jacob was assigned to fight the warriors of the coven. That was good. Sam was going to fight Edward and Rosalie. A louder whine escaped my lips. Edward would do anything in his rage to protect Bella, and he would know Sam's every move. The most dangerous job went to him.

Carlisle and Alice will also be close, possibly Esme. Esme was not a fighter. We could handle her. Alice couldn't see us, and Carlisle was hindered by his ridiculous morals.

_Brady, Collin, Seth, and Leah will concentrate on them._

Even now, when he thought my name, it sent shivers through me. I hid them quickly.

_Whoever has a clear line on_ --- he tried and failed to say Bella's name --- _the creature will take it. Destroying the creature is our first priority. _

I took Brady and Collin to one side, taking point. I quietly told them how we were going to handle them, trying not to think anything to Seth. In his dazed, Alpha puppet state, he wasn't fit to fight. He was too happy to have more murder, even vampire murder, on his conscience. And he couldn't get hurt --- I refused to think about the possibility. I growled in anticipation.

Sam stood, nose to nose with Jacob. _But now we have a duty to fulfill. _

_No_, Jake protested, quiet but firm. Sam snarled.

_YES_, he thought, the Alpha overpowering everything, _There are no loopholes tonight. You, Jacob, are going to fight the Cullens with us. You, with Quil and Embry, will take care of Jasper and Emmett. You are obligated to protect the tribe. That is why you exist. You will perform this obligation._

I almost pitied Jake as he trembled and fell. The edict was inevitable, but it was rough. Quil tried to nudge Jacob to his feet, but was trying to avoid attention from Sam.

I tried to ask Sam to send Seth home, but he snapped his teeth together, then ignored me. Jake was finally up, and trotting along jerkily. His thoughts weren't going anywhere specific, so I focused more on strategy. So I was shocked when ---

_No._

Jacob Black, towering over Sam, _was_ the Alpha. Sam startled back.

_Jacob? What have you done? _

_I won't follow you, Sam. Not for something so wrong._ The double layer, inevitable, unescapable, fell across Sam's mind for the first time, and he shook his head violently.

_You would...you would choose yoru enemies over your family? _

_They aren't --- they aren't our enemies. They never have been. Until I really thought about destroying them, thought it through, I didn't see that._

I stopped in my tracks, along with everyone in the pack. Seth, late, walked into my leg before breaking the bond and looking at the two giant wolves. Sam tried to force Jacob into submission, but the command just bounced off.

_Ephraim Black's son was not born to follow Levi Uley's._ Jake stared coldly down his nose at Sam.

_Is this it then, Jacob_ Black_? _Sam hissed, emphasizing the last name,_ Even if you can defeat me, the pack will never follow you! _Oh god that sounded so cliche.

_But Jake could force us, too_, I thought quietly, the true Alpha command was flowing through his blood.

_Defeat you?_ he said, stunned, _I'm not going to fight you, Sam._

There were weird tensions that we hadn't felt before pulsing between the red-brown and the black wolves. It wasn't exactly a tension, more like --- the air before a storm.

_The Alpha gene_, Brady thought, _it's too much for two to be in one pack._ Sam was hurling commands and insults at Jacob, but his double harmonized voice wasn't affecting him. Both of their fur was bristling, and they were ready to fight to the death if need be.

_There is only one Alpha for this pack_, Jake finally said, _I'm not contesting that. I'm just choosing my own way. _

_Do you belong to a_ coven_ now, Jacob?_ Sam snarled. He twitched.

_I don't know, Sam, but I do know this: I _will_ stand between you and the Cullens. I won't just watch while the pack kills innocent people. The pack is better than that. Lead them in the right direction, Sam._

And with that, Jacob took off running.

And all mental hell broke loose.

There weren't words for a while, just endless howling, frustrated and sad and angry and confused, every bad, pent-up emotion shrieking out of our lungs into the midnight sky.

Once there was a slight decrease in volume, Sam's thoughts dominated ours again.

_We are a pack. We are family._

I repeated the words dutifully with the rest of the wolves. But I only heard...five other voices? I counted idly as I continued to repeat after Sam. I could hear him, of course, and Brady (two), Collin (three), Quil and Embry (four and five), Jared (six). And me, seven. Paul was at Billy's...that made eight. Eight out of ten.

But where was Jacob?

Sam seemed to come to this conclusion at the same time that I did. He ordered us to be quiet. The silence was terrifying, as Sam angrily searched with his mind.

_Jacob has left_, he shouted after a minute, _he is no longer part of the pack._

I was disoriented from the Alpha voice, and the babble in my head wasn't helping, but I was forgetting something. After a moment of Sam's wrath trying to bubble out into something coherent, it hit me with a flash of electrons.

_Seth!_ I screamed, _Seth isn't here!_

Everyone froze for a minute, while Sam did another mental sweep. His breath whooshed in and out with frightening speed. And then he opened his mouth ---

And the most horrifying, nightmarish sound imaginable came from his throat. It was like a roar and a snarl and a scream, terrifying and primal.

He tore around the immediate forest area in a wrath, knocking over two old trees when he hit them, and wreaking havoc on the undergrowth. I don't even begin to know how long he was like that. But when it stopped, he was suddenly and dangerously still.

_I must talk with the elders_, he said, _there is work to be done._ With that, he galloped off.

I sped off after him, trailing him, like I always did, a shooting star caught in the gravity of an out of control planet.

_Sam, can I go tell my mother?_ I said to him, taking three quick strides for every one leap of his.

_Yes, he said, I think that would be best. Go quickly, and be ready. Once we have our strategy, we cannot hesitate._ I nodded, then turned and sprinted off in a different direction.

I was at the house in no time, and I phased. I dressed quickly from the pile of clothes I'd left by a tree a few hours ago. A few hours --- it seemed like a lifetime.

I ran to the porch, wrenching open the back door.

"Mom?" I called. The house was silent. I found a note on the table.

_**Emily's or Billy's. Call with news.**_

Great.

I picked up the phone, wondering which to dial first. I was halfway through Emily's number when I slowed, and put the receiver down. A half formed thought was trying to break throught.

I shook my head. _No time_, I told myself.

I was three buttons into Billy's number when I did the same thing again. The idea wouldn't go away.

We couldn't hear Seth or Jacob. They, it reasoned, wouldn't be able to hear us. I thought this over slowly, at least twice, trying to find any flaws in my logic. I absentmindedly picked up an apple, watching the shine on it's skin as I turned it in my smooth, dusky hands. I took a bite just as absentmindedly, and the apple was finished before I realized I'd eaten any of it.

I stood in the kitchen, staring at the familiar surfaces. I didn't know exactly what I was going to do, but it wouldn't hurt if I changed clothes. Either way, I thought, though I wasn't sure what my alternitive to fighting the Cullens was, I could be out without modern conviniences for a while.

I grabbed a pair of shorts and a tank top, taking weird, extra care to see that they matched. I was going through a meticulous autopilot while my thoughts tumbled like clouds in a hurricane.

All of a sudden, I was all movement, changing my clothes, dashing down the stairs to the notepad Mom had left.

_**Don't know when we'll be back. We love you. L + S.**_

I bit my lip as I looked once more around the kitchen. Then I flew out of the back door, not phasing, but running with long, inhuman strides. I finally reached my tree, and I climbed up it without further hesitation.

So the packs weren't linked. They couldn't hear each other's thoughts. On the one hand, Sam would be furious if I defected. Quite possibly mad enough to never speak to me without hatred again.

_Eh, been there, done that._ I winced to myself.

On the other hand...Seth needs me. That was justification enough.

Could I bear the thought of Sam being even more revolted with me than before?

_Yes_, I thought, miserable but sure, _if I didn't have to hear him think it. _

Yeah, I would go for Seth. I wasn't about to let him get killed for those killer-spawn-loving parasites.

But...not hearing Sam's constant loathing for me and adoration for Emily was a greater motivation than I could ever deny.

What about my mother? I didn't know when I'd be able to see her again. She'd be alone in our house, with nothing to distract her from the ghosts. She was still messed up about Dad, though she tried not to show it. And her children deserting her for vampires?

But all the same, I couldn't help but imagine the freedom from the excruciating pain. I would take whatever came from Jacob.

Jacob. I shuddered. We were going to throw sparks off of each other on principle. And I would have to help the bloodsuckers --- something that repulsed me thoroughly.

I took a steadying breath.

_Still worth it._

I climbed down carefully, jumping from ten feet up and landing silently on the mossy ground. I started running.

Even in human form, I was probably still the fastest.

I avoided the normal trails, going through a circuitous route to the Cullen property. I took off my clothes, tying them securely to my leg.

I let my apprehension well up in me and I burst into the sleek silver wolf I was now accustomed to being. I shook myself, then started running.

I shivered slightly as I forced myself over the boundary line. I was in the lion's den now. I swallowed nervously.

I was coming in at full speed, and I could hear them again. Relief flooded through me. Jake was almost asleep, and Seth was bolting around the perimeter of the property.

He heard my footfalls and froze, skidding to a stop. He turned back in my direction and sprinted to intercept me, howling. I felt Jacob drag himself up and run flat out to the point.

I swallowed again.

_Morning, boys._

* * *

**The plot thickens. Sort of. I figure since Leah's pov is pretty thoroughly covered in the Jacob section of Breaking Dawn, that I'm done with it. From here, we again move into the less concrete parts of Leah's perspective. Next up: Screaming at Bella. And after that we depart from the strict canon; mainly because the book ends. Keep reading. :)**


	4. Happy Ending Suicide

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, crazies.**

**I just had to get this one out to progress the storyline. This chapter isn't my best, but the important stuff is in the details. Read and review, updating more presently because I wrote out of order. **

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_Seth_, I mumbled, about to lap him once again in our circuit, _If I don't go to sleep I'm going to run into a tree._

_That's okay_, he said back, _I can take it for a while._ I nodded my head in time with my steps, slinking into the forest away from the stench. I'd stashed my clothes near the river, tying them to a rock underwater so they would stay as vamp-free as possible. Not like I could wear them anyway, I sighed, I had to be in constant communication with Seth and Jake. Which meant constant Bella-fawning and constant vamp-loving. It was sick and disgusting and unnatural.

Seth rolled his eyes at me.

_I can still hear you._

_Shut the fuck up_, I thought, but I was so tired that the words game out slurred, even in my head.

_Dude, Leah, you're wasted._

I dropped in a pile, my face buried near a pile of clean ferns. I was even beginning to smell, my fluffy fur retaining the poisonous icy stench like cigarettes to a smoker. It gave me a headache.

I was about a millisecond from being asleep when Seth and I both straightened, something subsonic pulsing through our brains.

_What?_ We thought together. I stood shakily, still exausted.

And we heard Jacob's brain ripping apart, even though he wasn't wolf.

We bolted towards the sound of a snarling engine, but it was even faster than us, and, even though I was burning through the woods as fast as I could, we only caught a glimpse of him in a shiny car that made the rest of the Cullen-mobiles look like piles of scrap.

Then he was gone...again.

I howled, still feeling the weird ringing in my brain that meant Jake had finally snapped. Seth lamented with me, but I choked off my cry when I thought of the reason that he'd run off...AGAIN.

Bella.

A snarl built in me, an irrational, infeisable plan forming in my head.

_Seth, this---isn't---fair!_

_Leah_, he said, pacing toward me as I thrashed my head back and forth, snarls ripping out of me. _Leah, we can't help him. _

_The hell we can't_, I said, glaring off in the direction of the Cullen residence. _It's her fault. Her and the baby._

My brain flashed with shock. I called it a baby. My talk with Jake about my nonexistant options had almost forced my hand.

_Sam, Leah, Lily, and Alex..._

I hadn't felt this angry since Jared had called me Lee-Lee, trying to convince me that Sam actually wanted me back. Pretending it wasn't a relief that I was gone. I'd called both him and Sam every horrible name I knew, and invented several...and it wasn't enough to convince myself that the thought of Sam asking for me back didn't send my heart hammering. I shook my head more violently.

_They're not...bad, Leah_, Seth said quietly.

_They aren't good either_, I growled back. _And Bella's the worst of them all. She's allowed to kill herself for the baby---whatever. But if that baby kills Jacob, you know what, then it's unfair_.

I bolted away, back to the river where my clothes drifted in the shallows. I phased, dressing quickly in the dripping, worn shorts and shirt I'd left home in. The coolness was pleasant against my skin, but I couldn't focus on that now. I was so boiling mad in addition to my superhot metabolism, and it was surprising to me that the wet cloth didn't start steaming itself dry.

I took off with giant strides towards the big white crypt.

Edward heard me coming, of course, and he was at the door staring at me. My hands trembled---I was going to be alone near a whole coven, something that made my instincts scream. He let me pass, looking confused. My thoughts must have been too undefined with rage, otherwise he'd have stopped me at the porch.

_For the love of all that is holy_, the place was killing my lungs. I was trying not to breathe, but when I had to, the icy air left me gasping and almost teary eyed.

Bella was curled up on the couch in front of me, staring, wide eyed and petrified. Well, good. She deserved to be frightened of me.

"What do you think you're doing?" I said to her, trying not to concentrate on the physical pain my lungs were in, trying not to concentrate on the vicious blonde who was looming near Bella, trying to ignore the other various bloodsuckers who were congregating. I heard a hiss as Edward realized where my thoughts were going, but I steeled myself and focused my gaze on her.

I faltered for a half second. She looked so weak and beat up; I knew her ribs were taped up and she was on the verge of breaking everything all of the time. Another half second passed, and I figured she deserved what she got for letting herself be knocked up by a vampire and breaking my alpha's heart.

"Do you even know what you're doing to Jacob?" She blanched. "He's dying, he's going insane, he's ready to kill himself to get rid of the agony that you are making him feel."

She paled even more, she was barely a shade lighter than Blondie next to her, who was staring at me with thirsty, black, livid eyes. How long had it been since she'd...hunted? I supressed a shudder at the thought, but my hands wouldn't stop vibrating, sending painful shocks through my bones.

"So just leave him alone. Go on with your fuckin' happy ending, but quit messing with Jake's brain," I spat. I looked at her contemptuously. God she was so huge, and she looked too breakable to yell at again. I cut my speech short; there was no way I was going to break down and end up apologizing. "You're lucky he can't commit suicide."

I turned and found myself face-to-fangs with her husband, and I jerked back, a vicious growl shaking my ribcage. I was his height, almost taller by now, but he was even angrier than Barbie had been. My lip curled up over my insicors, and I noticed that his eyes were too dark, too.

_DANGER, DANGER_, my brain shrieked.

"Go," he hissed, a wave of icy burn rolling into my senses. I took a step, rotating, not showing him my back. I backed out of the front door, assessing the room again. I had a grand total of four angry glares, the extra two from Muscles and the fortune teller. The scarred one was impassive, his gaze fixed on Alice rather than me. Carlisle was staring at me, his face unreadable. His mate...Esme...the one I'd been so ready to kill in the planning process...she was frowning...empathizing.

_Oh as if, lady vamp._ But I winced as I thought of it.

I backed out without another word. I barely heard someone come after me, only the flash of white and black. And she was so tiny, nose wrinkled as she stood across from me.

"You get him, you know," Alice murmured, her eyes locked on mine.

Now I was confused. As if she knew my problems. Wait---crap, she did. _Stupid mind reader_, I thought in the direction of the house. I decided to blow her off.

"Sure, sure," I snarled, "Just back off, okay? I don't like you and you don't like me. And besides, you can't even see us. You couldn't know." I moved backwards another few steps, threatened. Pathetic, spooked by something about a third of my size.

"I know I'm not supposed to be able to see you," she continued, looking hazy and confused. "But I think this is...different. A more human prediction." She looked up at me through her lashes.

That threw me. I didn't ever think about vamps as once-humans.

"I---no, you---" I stuttered, then I composed myself again to stare at her meanly. "It doesn't work like that," I said flatly.

"But it works out," she muttered, focusing now as her eyes screwed shut in concentration.

I stared at her, no longer angry, but dumbfounded. _What the hell? _

"You get him. The one."

_Sam can't unimprint._

"You get a happy ending, too."

She'd lost it from the stress. I snorted slightly, then turned and ran before she could see my tears. Fucking parasite could probably smell the weakness radiating off of me, though.

I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going, but I finally slipped on the smooth stones near the river and tumbled into the water. Under the cool water, I felt my boiling tears squeeze out of my eyes. I held my breath for as long as I could, trying to find some peace so I could phase without saying my issues to Seth.

Finally, I broke the water, lips first.

_Well,_ I thought grimly as I stripped, looping my clothes around a water weed again, _If future-vamp is right, more power to her. Deal with it later._

I let the heat rip me apart.

_Leah what the hell?_ Seth growled at me.

I rolled my eyes at him, but I bolted to where he was. He was close, and I stopped and laid my head on his shoulder. That was close enough to a hug. I was careful not to think of anything I'd said. Or heard.

_Oh, same old, same old_, I thought, bumping my skull against his. _It sucks to be me, and vampires are cruel. _

Seth stared at me for a long moment.

_So now, _I stated, forestalling any speculations, _we wait for Jake. _

Seth frowned.

_Don't worry, _I said with false cheer,_ He'll be back soon. _My thoughts turned more morose. _He can't die, anyway. _

_You're probably right,_ Seth sighed after a moment. _You think there's any way this can end...okay? _

_Not...sure. I hope so, but I don't know. _

I leaned my head against his shoulder for a moment, then took off running again.

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**Okay, so this chapter sucks. Sorry. It was a hard one to write. Now we move on to post-Breaking-Dawn Leah, and all her emotastic glory. Read and review, plzkthnx. :)**


	5. Silver and Gold

**Disclaimer: Twilight is not mine, but the plotline is. **

**Mature content, sort of. Well, just in case you'd like to shield your delicate eyes.**

**This chapter switches point of views where you see the '~'~'~'~' , don't let it confuse you. Hell of drama chapter! Read and review, longest and best chapter! 3 Athene **

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And it came to pass, we were one pack again...sort of.

If I'd tried to describe the hellish weeks after Bella's transformation---and her almost crushing my brother, which was a different story altogether---most of the ones that would sum it up would be four-letter words. But uncomfortable and painful would be high on the list. Uncomfortable being the not going home nearly often enough and running all night.

The painful, for me? Divided between Jacob and Sam.

On the one hand, Jake wasn't lusting after a married vampire; on the other, he was lusting after her DAUGHTER. Gag. And since he'd imprinted, I'd kind of lost my lifeline. On top of that, he assigned us to run with Sam again. I'd once again been stuck with the fate I was trying to avoid.

Well, I still answered to Jacob and not Sam, but there was a weird sense of disunity, at least to me. Everyone else seemed pretty okay with the arrangement, Jacob and Sam relaying and coordinating our patrols. But, even though I was Jacob's second, I was having a weirdly difficult time hearing him lately. It was like we weren't quite on the same frequency anymore. It wasn't exactly interference, but there was some...feedback or something. He just wasn't coming in clearly, and that was disturbing. And I got snatches of feeling that were really out of place with the pack at points. I kept to myself though, because it wasn't exactly an urgent thing. There were more important things lately, what with the post-vampire-invasion mode going on.

_Leah_, Jacob said, _run the trail. Embry, take the other fork. We'll be right behind you._ I snorted.

_Alright, catch me if you can._ Jake rolled his eyes, then we heard Sam through Jake's head. The needles of pain I felt when he spoke to me had dulled very slightly, but they still sent my heart hammering hopelessly.

_We're sending Nathan after you, Leah, and Colin after Embry_.

Nathan was one of the new wolves who'd just started to phase as the Cullens had brought their friends to show some muscle to the evil bloodsuckers. Everyone with the most remote relation to our ancient elders, with maybe one great great great something grandfather who had wolf blood, had erupted all over the place. The entirety of La Push was on edge, the locals irritated with the constant howling, and the families of the new wolves confused and depressed. With all of the vamps hanging around, it was surprising even more hadn't sprung up.

I didn't bother turning to look for him as I sprinted off into the woods along a well beaten trail. I flew along, banking a turn and springing over a bush.

Nathan, I'd heard, didn't have it as hard as most. He'd phased in front of his twin sister, Sandy, the first time. After she got over the shock, she was pretty okay with it, helping him sneak out and assuring their parents that she knew where he was. They'd sent me to her to explain, and we'd kind of...bonded by trauma, I guess you could say. Whatever spare time I had, I talked with her.

_Leah, wait up for him_, Jake said.

I skidded to a stop, spraying dirt everywhere as I faced down the trail, looking for Nathan. I practiced standing motionless, tail erect, muscles taut.

I saw him before I heard him, even with my sharp ears (not as good as Seth's, but hey, kid was slow). He was there in another second, stock still ten feet across from me.

The world exploded.

Suddenly, all laws that kept the earth stable didn't matter, were thrown away. After an eternity of seconds of ecstasy, the world solidified slightly and I was able to see again, sort of hear the voices of confusion in my head. But they didn't matter.

_Nathan._

_Nathan._

_Nathan._

_Leah._

I was shocked to hear my own name. The perfect creature across from me was thinking my name. In the same tone...harmonized almost. I panted, my lungs not getting enough air for my racing heart.

We were two stars, thrown from our galaxies, and orbiting around each other. I couldn't walk away from the golden brown wolf if he was trying to kill me. I'd rip apart those Italian killer vamps in a second to get to him.

Before I could focus on any greater and more accurate expression of my unending devotion to him, the pack mind cut in again. Well that was annoying. Couldn't they see I was having an epiphany unlikely to ever occur on this scale again? My sentence structure failed as I focused back on the wolf across from me, tips of his static-filled hair sparkling in the cloud-light.

_Double imprinting,_ someone --- I didn't care who --- shrieked in awe.

Everyone elses' voices tuned out again as Nathan --- Nathan! --- and I automatically straightened and phased.

I heard howling in the distance, but wasn't remotely tempted to join them.

We stood naked across from each other, the same place we'd been only half a minute before, but so much more important now. His bronze chest was sparkling with health in the midafternoon air. His hair wasn't as short as the others', but fluffed out over his ears in a delicate way that made me shiver.

I was torn out of stillness at the same time he was; we already moved perfectly together.

"NATHAN!" I screamed, tearing through the five feet to him (he'd jumped at the same time I had), leaping into his arms. We crashed together, tangling in midair, with a force that would hurt normal people. I was faster, with more momentum, but he was bigger than I was, so when we tumbled to the ground, I was on the bottom.

"Leah," he whispered, and his mouth pressed to mine. The world liquefied again, but this time with my own endless bliss. I looped my leg around him, pulling him closer to me. His hands moved over me. "Lee," he said again, and we dissolved into a passionate sort of pile. I gasped and moaned along with him, head not bothering to catch up. I could take care of that later, I thought, raising my head as he kissed my throat.

There was a very human noise, a gasp, very close to us.

Until we heard the growls.

We both exploded into balls of fur at the same time, were on our feet facing the menacing faces of our pack. I was more exasperated than defensive; I couldn't manage to feel unwell standing next to him. Sandy was snarling viciously at the two of us, cussing us out in wolf and in her head.

Wait --- Sandy had phased?!

The gasp made sense.

I saw in her head, incoherent with disoriented pain, images flashing. She was walking, around La Push, following a wolf trail we'd made. She had wandered for a while, not exactly looking for anything --- and then she sees Nathan, practically having sex with me --- and she thinks our friendship was all a trick, just to get to him. I whimpered slightly at her, upset.

Jacob and Sam were trying to soothe Sandy, everyone was trying to get her to relax enough to adequately explain. The others radiated confusion and, in Sandy's case, rage.

_Sandy_, Nathan said quietly, _calm down._ I felt the rush of recognition woosh into her brain.

_YOU_, she growled at me, _imprinted on my BROTHER._

Fair trade, I thought, my hair rising defensively, you can have mine. Seth would be mad at me if he was phased.

She growled, advancing on me menacingly, circling. My hackles rose of their own accord, and I set my feet as she got close enough to spring. I was torn, but I decided I wouldn't fight back. I couldn't risk hurting Nathan by hurting his sister.

Nathan's splitsecond shock at my logic washed over my brain, then he snarled and stepped toward me ---

--- in front of me, blocking me from Sandy. His words were incoherent, but they plainly said, _'You hurt Leah, you die._'

She looked shocked, then hurt. Snarling strangled and upset words, she backed away, still fluffed up with adrenaline. She could tell his pure intentions directly from his thoughts, but it didn't help her empathize. I had to regret her pain; she'd just been alienated by both her new best friend and her brother.

_If this isn't a betrayal of trust---_Sandy turned and looked at me one more time before running away _--- I don't know what is._

None of the rest of the pack was hostile, so I turned to look at Nathan. I caught a glimpse of Sam as I glanced at the wolves staring at us.

Nothing. None of the longing pain I was accustomed to. A certain affection, of course, as a brother and a friend, but none of the hurt.

The lightness of my heart was incredibly unsettling. I sunk to my knees with sudden mental vertigo. This was much too much for me to comprehend.

Nathan was instantly at my side, his nose touching my cheek in concern. I turned, my nose touching his in a wolfy kiss. Jake grinned mentally, and I told him to fuck off. I wiggled into the fur of his side. It was perfect, as if his design and mine were from the same mold, two pieces broken apart and suddenly reattached.

_Leah, Nathan ---_ Sam began, but Jake cut him off.

_Let them get used to it for a while, Sam. We'll rearrange the vanguard. We can grill them later, and we have to take care of --- Sandy._ He trotted off slowly, still looking at me strangely.

_Thank you Jake._ I rolled my eyes at him. I belatedly realized I could hear him crystal clear again. I guess the trouble had been that Nathan and I had been indirectly sharing thoughts through the minds of Sam and Jacob. Our brains had realized we had each other, before we could realize the fact.

_Welcome, Leah._ He chuckled and started running. _It's nice, isn't it._

His laughter was the last thing I heard as I let the earth leech the heat out of me.

I was lying on my side next to Nathan, hand propped on head, just looking at him in wolf form. My eyes trailed lazily over his form, from vertebra to vertebra, sinew to sinew, hair to hair. He was gazing far off, following the trail his sister had left, no doubt talking to her. I shivered again. He looked down at me, smiled, then phased down so that he mirrored my posture.

"Hi," I breathed.

"Hi," he said back.

"I love you, Nathan."

"I love you, Leah." I spasmed happily, wiggling into the soft mossy dirt. I rolled over onto him, feeling dainty next to his pushing-seven-feet length.

"Forever, Nathan," I whispered, pressing my lips softly to his.

'~'~'~'~'

"Forever, Nathan," Leah said, her face growing closer and closer, her presence invading every pore, every breath.

Forever. The non aging thing made it true. Forever. Staggering in its proportions, it was simple in its new path. I mean, I was new at this whole werewolf thing, maybe two weeks old ish. Between the superfast training, running all night and sleeping whenever, losing my temper, and shopping for new clothes as a result, I'd had only an hour or two to consider the fact that I was kind of immortal, sort of.

At first, it was cool. I ran into a tree (I get distracted very easily), and my fractured skull healed in half an hour. I grew like crazy, and was finally taller than my dad. But when I actually thought about the concept of living for as long as I wanted to, it left me at a loss. What could I do for the rest of my life? What would happen when I outlived my parents? Sandy (though I'd hoped she'd phase; she'd seemed kind of warm recently)? My friends (minus the werewolf ones)? My girlfriend (if I ever got one)?

But it was so simple now. Leah and I would be together for the rest of my very long life. She would always be there, every morning when I woke up, lying beside me, her jewel-bright eyes locked in mine. I would protect her from anything that could conceivably happen. Even better than Sam and Emily, because she wouldn't age, like me. She would be happy; we all knew how horrible she had felt looking at Sam every day. But her affection was swept away, I'd felt her confusion as she looked at Sam without the longing. She loved me.

I couldn't think of a better solution to everyone's problems.

"Forever," I repeated, my voice deep and soft. I kissed her deeply, it was so right. Her legs splayed over me, her skin like russet silk, sliding across my hips and stomach. I let out a slightly startled moan, and she giggled. My hands drifted apprehensively to her back. She made a strange moaning sound in my throat, pulled back and looked at me, black bangs hiding one eye. I was anxious until I saw she was grinning like the Mad Hatter. Phew.

"Where," she said, smiling but eyes dark and serious, "Do you want to put those hands?"

"You," I replied, smirking, "Already know where." I bit my lip, nervousness showing through. She softened, melted, and smiled smaller.

"Yes, please."

The words sent hormones and endorphins tingling into my brain.

"Are we going to...?" I trailed off, feeling my face grow hotter than normal.

"Probably."

"Wow."

"Oh, come on you little virgin," she said playfully. She kissed me again. This isn't so bad, I thought briefly.

"Okay, Leah," I panted. For the first time since I'd become a werewolf, I was slick with sweat.

She giggled, her cheeks darkening in an intensely attractive way. She looped an arm over my waist, and wiggled into the crook of my arm a little tighter.

"You like?" she said, her words muffled as a direct result of her lips pressed to my side. "Is that an actual question?" I said incredulously. She laughed again and nipped me with her teeth.

"Humor me. Haven't done this much."

"Aside from about an hour ago when I first saw you," I murmured into her hair, "That was the best experience of my life." I paused. "Wait, how often did you do exactly that?" I felt her tense slightly in my grasp.

"Not since Sam and I broke up," she muttered, her embarrassment clear.

"Ah." I said, voice level.

I started to vibrate, anger filling my every cell, washing my relaxation away with heat.

"Nathan! Stop!" Leah said, leaping up and pinning my arms to my sides. She was strong, and she had experience on her side. I trembled with fury nonetheless. I sensed her almost panic, but then she bent down and kissed me. A weird, icy feeling --- despite the obvious heat of her lips --- spread from my lips to my brain, down my spine, and I finally stopped quaking. She stayed on top of me, breathing just as heavily as I was, and shaking harder.

Even though I had my soul mate, I was still young.

"Don't---don't d-do that," she gasped, almost sobbing.

"Lee, Lee," I said, wrapping my arms around her, horrified. "Shh, shh, I won't, I promise, I just got surprised, I'm sorry. I love you."

"I l-love you too," she said, "But DON'T---" she punched me --- "DO---" she punched me again --- "THAT."

"I promise," I said softly, "I promise."

She lay quietly on my chest. I crushed her close. I belatedly realized how I'd almost hurt her. I'd. Almost. Hurt. Her. I wanted to shoot myself. How had Emily felt, when Sam had done that? Probably similar. The parallels that were springing up between our lives were dizzying. Leah and Emily were all too similar.

"Jealous much?" she said after a few minutes. I knew I was forgiven.

"Yeah," I said, running a hand through my hair distractedly. "It's like...weird, thinking of you with Sam." We shuddered at the same time.

"Did you have any previous girlfriends that I have to maul?" Leah said, her tone light and teasing. I knew she wasn't kidding.

"Nope, not me."

"I can't see why."

"Of course you can't. We're biased."

"Doesn't mean we're wrong."

My hand slid up her thigh. "If we ever want to get anything done," Leah said sexily, "we're going to have to get chastity belts."

"Sandy would carry my key."

"Seth would have mine. I'd have to fight him for it. I'd win, but he'd slow me down while Sam and the cavalry arrived."

"Oh hell no, I couldn't take Sandy in that fight. She'd rip my face off and throw the key in a river."

"If Seth really wanted to keep it safe, he'd give it to my mom. Then we'd have a major issue. Mission impossible." She rested her forehead on my chin, her bangs tickling my lip deliciously.

"Who needs to get things done anyway," I muttered, my other hand tracing her opposite thigh.

'~'~'~'~'

"I know we're like, perfect for each other and everything," I started, "But I don't actually know you that well."

Nathan snickered. Dude, a little sex and he was a bundle of giggles.

"Well," he said, "What do you want to know?" I thought about it for a second.

"What did you want to be when you grew up? Before you shape shifted into a giant furry dog, I mean." He mulled over the question as I ran my fingertips over his arm.

"That tickles," he said quietly, and I smiled. "But, I've always kind of wanted to help people. My dad and grandfather were firefighters. I've kind of wanted to follow in their path." He turned and curled me to his chest. He didn't feel cold, or warm, just...natural. "You, Leah?"

"Well," I said softly, my lips pressed to his shoulder, "My mom was a nurse for a while, and I'd thought that would be something I'd be good at. But lately," I slowed my words down, "I've been better at things with motor skills. You know. Werewolf sight and dexterity thing. And I started sketching, and they're pretty good, and I've always been able to sing. I figure for a while, I could sing down at Ellie's." Ellie's was the hole-in-the-wall bar/restaurant, hidden farther from the beach and town and tourist area. I liked it there; I didn't drink much, but the atmosphere was vaguely familiar of the distant distant past when Dad would bring us there on occasion. "I love it there," I told him, "And then I would have an income, and I could do patrol pretty regularly. And then once I cooled off a bit, I could go to college and get a degree in maybe education, or nursing. Or something." I paused to kiss his collarbone. "It wouldn't matter so much. I have time to think of that."

He was quiet for a moment.

"Leah," he said, hesitating.

"Mmmhm?" I kissed his neck again.

"Do---would you---like to move in with me?" The words came out in a rush. "We can rent this little house uptown for cheap, and we could---it'd be---"

He broke off, and when I looked up at him, he was looking away, face apprehensive.

He didn't see me burst into the happiest smile anyone had ever had.

"I'd like that," I said, flashing my teeth at him. He looked at me, his upset expression melting away. I dissolved, kissing his cheek lightly.

"Okay," I murmured, nuzzling his chest, "As much as I dread facing them, I probably need some clothes sometime soon." His face fell.

"Stupid clothes," he muttered glumly, "Not fair." I snickered in my throat.

"Hey, keep in mind, I haven't been home in about a week." It had been a rough month. Nathan looked depressed at the thought of leaving. "Come to my house, we've got sweats galore."

A smile. "Alright."

I shook my hair out, stretching down to the dirt, shaking further, and I was a wolf. One of my more peaceful phasings. Nathan just stood watching me for a moment.

"You are so graceful," he said, closing his eyes and bursting into a ball of fur.

We stood next to each other, silver and gold.

_Nice analogy, Lee._ He smirked appreciatively.

_It's so easy to phase when you're that young,_ I said to him, sensing around for any other wolves. Quil was dozing, but startled awake when he felt us, nodded his head, and phased out.

_No element of surprise_, Nathan said. I shrugged, then trotted off toward my house.

_Come on, babe._

A thought wormed its way through my cranium, eventually coming to the front burner.

_Crap._, he said, moving close to me. The house came in sight, with Mom pacing the back porch, a stack of my clothes in hand. She looked up as we got to the fringe of the woods, locking onto me. She jumped off of the deck, taking quick strides to the woods.

Hm?

I wonder what Seth told Mom.

Oh...We'll be okay

She mutely held out clothes for me, and I took them gently in my teeth. I turned my head, gesturing toward Nathan, my ears asking a question. Mom smirked a little and walked to get a pair of Seth's pants. I phased as soon as she was out of sight, dressing quickly in my least flattering sports bra and panties, and a pair of purple cotton shorts and white sleeveless top. Nathan grinned at me, rolling out his tongue in a laugh.

"Shut up you," I said, blushing and punching his shoulder lightly. He licked my face, knocking me over and standing over me, faux-growling. I laughed, kicking at his ribs lightly, pushing him away as I twisted out of his legs. "I can't help that all of my pretty underwear got shredded." He raised his eyebrow, rolling out his tongue again. "Is that a, 'you're so unattractive', or an 'I'd like to shred your underwear, you pile of sexiness' ?" He nodded to the second one, then froze, looking sheepishly over my shoulder.

"Crap, hey Mom." I blushed.

"Hello Leah. Hello Nathan." She was expressionless. He nodded to her, gently took the black sweats from her, and trotted modestly into the bushes. Mom stared at me, smiled happily, then held out her hand to me. I threw myself into her arms.

"Leah," she said, squeezing me. "You both imprinted? That's what Seth told me, at least?" She pulled back to look up at my face. I still couldn't get over being taller than her; it seemed wrong somehow. I nodded, beaming.  
"I'm so happy. It's all perfect now." I hugged her back lightly; I didn't want to give her a stress fracture.

"I love you, Leah. I'm glad it all worked out. I hoped it would work out, and this is better than anything that would have happened."

"But I just don't get it," I said, my brow furrowing. "Why'd he imprint on me? I'm...a freak." My lip pouted out slightly. I heard a bark from the bushes, and I rolled my eyes.

"Well, Leah," my mom said as we walked toward the porch, "I was thinking about that." She looked at me, cautious. I waited.

"He might have imprinted on you...for the stronger wolf genes. It's...a bloodline thing." She checked my reaction. I was pondering the words. "Billy and I spent some time tracing bloodlines while the conflict was in full swing. Of the new wolves," she said, smiling at me, "He's the one with the least ancestral blood." I let that sink in.

"And," I said slowly, "I'm the girl with the most?" Mom nodded.

"Then," I started, face pinching, "Why'd I imprint back? I mean, it's not like I can carry on the line---"

"Leah, I doubt that," she said frankly. "I've always doubted it. You make a great wolf, and the tribe needed you. Cause and effect." I jerked up slightly.

"You heard about Sandy?" I said quickly.

"I did," she said, her tone strangely hostile, "And she is Nathan's twin, so it makes sense."

"Has---" I thought of the silence of our thoughts when we'd phased back. "She calmed down enough to human again, obviously. How?"

She pursed her lips. My eyes widened.

"Mom?" She didn't say anything. "Did she imprint?"

Silence.

"On who?"

More silence.

"It was Seth, wasn't it," Nathan said, quietly coming up behind us.

My mom nodded. She buried her face in her hands, looking like the walking dead.

"Mom," I said gingerly, wrapping my warm arms around her shoulders, "We've all had a really long day. I'm gonna---" Nathan nudged me--- "We're gonna go find Seth and Sandy. I think you should get some sleep."

She nodded again, rubbing her eyes. I brought her inside, laying her in her bed. I dashed downstairs, returning quickly to her room with a cup of tea. When she was settled and almost asleep under the covers, I ghosted back downstairs and out the front door.

My eyes were sharp, more out of confusion than anger. I laced my fingers through Nathan's.

"Alright," I said fiercely, "Let's go find our glory-stealing, thunder-robbing siblings."

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**Reviews are awesome. You should write one.**


	6. Freakshow

_Yeah, this is pretty much the most fail chapter in history. Sorry. It's also been like...months. I apologize, I've been helping my friend write her Quil/Claire fic, and other stuff. Next chapter going up presently---and I mean it this time. _

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Walking to Nathan's house. It wasn't exactly awkward, but there was a tense, weird atmosphere. Probably due to the mindboggling double imprinting that had consumed our families, and irreversably altered our lives.

"I guess it makes sense," Nathan said slowly, "If we imprinted because of blood---"

"And so did they," I finished, nodding. "The only...random part of this whole thing is Sandy phasing." I frowned. Did that mean she was broken too? Or was it the wolf genes brought out with the catalyst? Or some sort of subsonic signal from Seth's potential imprinting? I guess a combination. It didn't make any sense, but neither did our existance, so I just figured we could forget about the cause and look at the effects.

We found them sitting on Nathan's back porch---only hours ago I would have thought of it as Sandy's, not his---just holding hands and staring into each other's eyes. They didn't look away when we appeared upon the scene.

My frustration drained away faster than it had flooded in. It was impossible for me to stay mad at Seth, even when he was being a dick. And it's not like I hated him for imprinting. We were just...confused.

"Sandy?" Nathan said softly. She finally turned, as if in a daze, towards him. She stared blankly for a moment, then comprehension clicked in her brain.

"Oh! Nathan! Uh...Hi?" She turned toward Seth. "This is Seth. Mentioned in passing, and now..." She smiled, and their staring contest started again. I glanced at Nathan, and was a little floored by how I didn't seem to want to tear my eyes away...Stop it, Leah! I thought. Focus.

"So, lovebirds," I finally said, and Seth blushed. "We make a really weird bunch. All...interrelated."

"We should make a flow chart," Seth said, rolling his eyes at me before turning to Nathan. "Hi. I'm Seth. You imprinted on my sister." His voice was protective. Nathan held out his hand.

"Hi. I'm Nathan. YOU imprinted on MY sister." Nathan and Seth both tried to crush each other's hands.

I glanced at Sandy, and her eyebrows were raised, too. We burst out laughing.

"We should be on Oprah," I sniggered.

"The Freakshow Foursome," Sandy said, gasping for air.

That one got the boys laughing, too.

Time skipped by in a weirdly beautiful bubble of happiness. Things were still disorientingly good, and though I was rarely unhappy, I was sometimes panicky. I was waiting for Nathan to leave, to be eaten by a vampire, to un-imprint on me somehow. And whenever I was wolf, I was at peace. I could see he was the exact same as I was; A.K.A., hopeless without him. I shied away from him sometimes when he tried to hold me, simply because it was unfamiliar.

I hadn't trusted anyone so completely in my life. And I was terrified that I would be hurt.

And the ironic part was...Nathan was exactly the same.


	7. WebMD Werewolf

**So... hi. Yeah, this one's a bit longer than the last failing chapter, but it's not up to my usual. I wrote this a LONG while ago, but had to wait until story continuity caught up with it. More to come. Keep on readin'! And reviewin'! Reviewin' is nice!**

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I woke up to the buzzing of my head. And I felt warm. Not normal warm, but too warm. And the buzzing wouldn't go away, and my stomach wasn't exactly swimming, but it was --- jittering.

I got out of bed, and my legs almost collapsed underneath me. I gasped, my head wobbling, and laid back on my bed. I tried to slow my breathing, but my heart was pulsing crazy fast. I closed my eyes. When I could move, I dragged my laptop from my nightstand to my lap. My head throbbed again, and I rubbed it pointlessly.

I pulled up WebMD.

Let's see, fever. I figured since '112 degrees' wasn't an option, I would just pretend that I was at 102. Dizziness, headache (I selected the worst ever option), stomach pain, quick heartbeat.

Well, if I wasn't having a brain aneurysm, and because my blood would boil before I got the flu, there weren't many options that made sense for the sudden pain.

Since there wasn't a WebMD Werewolf, I turned to my next best option: Google.

Female wolf illnesses.

After trawling through a slew of irrelevant sites, and an ad for how I would love rice cakes if I tried them, I found something with actual information on it.

Scanning through, a word stopped me.

I read the surrounding paragraph, and froze. My head throbbed again, accenting the horrifying fact.

I --- me --- Leah --- was in heat.

Holy fuck.

I felt it accurately now, pulsing through me; it was pure fire. Sweat beaded up on my brow, then my arms, then everywhere as the overwhelming heat tried to wring me dry.

Find your imprint, my body was screeching, or burst into flames.

My brain felt like it was dipped in boiling oil. I ripped my pajamas off, illogically seeking some relief from the scorching that my limbs were enduring.

With _incredibly_ bad timing, Nathan walked into my room of the small apartment. I moaned at the sight of him, every ache disappearing. My brain stopped trying to kill me and instead almost forced throw myself across the room.

_Stupid genetics_, I thought, moaning again as he came closer, eyes concerned. I clutched the blanket to keep from springing at him in lust.

"Lee?" Nathan muttered, and his voice sent me over the edge. My arms, holding me up, collapsed as I almost swooned. "Leah!" he said again, panicked. He rushed to my side, cradling my head in his perfect arms. I stared up, panting and helpless, as I attempted to roll away from him.

Every nerve was screaming at me again, wanting me to reach out and rip his shirt off. His hands tightened around my forearms, and I bit my tongue to keep it out of his mouth. He leaned down closer, and I could smell him, like fresh bread and woods and love ---

"Go away," I gasped, "I'm --- I'm okay." That was a mistake. He just got more tempting the closer he moved, and my hypervenilation wasn't keeping him away. I gave myself about twenty seconds before I jumped his bones. We hadn't really done anything since that first day, and I was freaking out at the thought that he would reject me. And I didn't want to drive him away with scary werewolf hormones, even though my brain snarled at me at the thought of him leaving before I raped him.

I couldn't remember the reason why it was such a big deal, I mean, he was mine after all ---

I shook my head against the wave of craziness.

_Rejection_, I told myself, _pain. Sam part deux, times infinity._

"Leah, that is bullshit," Nathan said, brow furrowed. I lost control at that point, and I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him with desperation. Nathan was shocked, and I saw his eyes fly open. After a second, he groaned too, and wrapped himself around me. Then, just as suddenly, he pulled away.

"Wait, wait, wait! Leah, you're burning up! What the hell?" he said. His face was such a turn on when it was scrunched up in bewilderment. I sighed exasperatedly.

"Yeah, Nate, shut up and help me cool off," I gasped breathlessly, climbing on top of him. He reacted, holding me above him while I trembled as I tried to focus my lust into something I could use. This was almost like phasing for the first time, but with different emotions; there was too much warmth for my body, and everything was driving me insane with the desire to get rid of it. I was losing my lucidity with every passing moment, but I figured it didn't matter anymore, as long as he would _just---stay---still_.

He sat up slightly again.

"Wait, what ---"

I stalled his questions by ripping his shirt down the middle. I ran my hands greedily over his chest, kissing his neck and making ungodly noises. It clearly hadn't escaped his notice that I wasn't wearing anything, and he weakened for a minute, letting me continue until I reached for the button of his jeans. Then he pushed away again, holding me still with werewolf strength.

I felt like crying. He didn't want me.

"Leah what the hell?" he said angrily. My eyes prickled with tears, and his face turned horror struck. "No, no Leah, I'm just---"

"It's okay," I sniffed, "I know you don't want me." The throbs of lust were still coursing through me, but they were much more managable as familiar rejection took its place once more. How easy it seemed to go back to the way I'd felt since Sam had left, even though I knew there was no hope if Nathan left me.

"Leah," he said softly, "That is false. I just didn't understand. Well, I still don't. But. I. Love. You."

And he was so sincere that the lust came flooding back in one fell swoop.

I straddled him, forestalling his next words.

"Mmfh!" he said, my mouth obstructing his, then, "Mmmmm."

I saw with beautiful clarity the exact shade of his skin, and the way his pupils dilated when I gently bit his lip.

And this time he didn't try to protest in confusion.

Smart boy.

"I'm not saying I'm sorry," Nathan gasped, "But what was that?"

I stroked his forelock, and tangled around him further. He started slightly; the bed quivered as I toyed with the idea of climbing on top of him again. I sighed, thinking of the complications it would bring to Jacob's scheduling when Nathan and I had to be out at least once a month or so.

"I'm pretty sure that imprinted females go into heat," I said matter-of-factly, "But as I can't check, I can only assume."

He thought about that for a second.

"I think I like heat," he finally said.

I couldn't stop laughing for about twenty minutes. When I finally did, we just looked at each other, his black eyes catching mine, hypnotic...

_Stupid eyes_, I thought as I pinned him to the bed --- again --- now we're back to the drawing board.


	8. Beautiful Day

**Longer, better chapter. Also: shit is going down next chapter, and the story's gonna pick up from there. I've got most of the rest of it planned out in my brain. Gonna be pretty epic, so get souped! **

**Listening material: Check Yes Juliet, We The Kings, and Superboy and Invisible Girl from the fantastic new musical Next To Normal. Youtube them or something, it's really awesome. **

**I only own Nathan and Sandy, not any of the other Twilighters. **

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"Leah," Nathan said, eyes glued on mine.

"You like?" I asked, twirling in my lavender maid-of-honor dress. Emily had reinstated me in my proper wedding position after Sam and I were no longer an issue.

"Is that a question?" he said. I beamed. I felt so princessy, in my nice new Victoria's Secret underwear set, the light silk dress swishing around my calves, hair in tiny ringlets that bounced at my eye level. I was barefoot, like Sam, Emily, and Jacob (the best man). My engagement gift, a sturdy woven anklet with a carved wolf dangling from it, was looped around my right ankle. Nathan and I hadn't set the date yet, but it was going to be in the next year.

The beach ceremony was a traditional Quileute thing, and it symbolized being one with nature and our past. And hey, since three quarters of us could step on a broken bottle and not bleed, sharp shells didn't matter. Nathan took my arm gently, leading me toward the white trellis and rows of woven rugs for the guests to sit on. He looked very nice himself in a loose blue cotton shirt tucked into brown pants that were rolled up to the knees.

"How long did that take?" Nathan teased, stroking a stray curl. "Did they have to hack the knots out of it with a chainsaw?"

"Ha ha," I muttered, "I take considerably better care of my hair than you do. Did you find any petrified animals stuck in there when you washed?"

"Not today, but I had to use a friggin' fire hose to break the solid block of mud that encased my head." We laughed. I leaned closer and kissed him lightly before skipping over to my place. I wiggled my feet into the sand in excitement. This was the one day where there was no vampire crisis, no wolfy things to do, no track to run. It was so very...peaceful. The word was strange in my mind. Despite the virtual circus going on around me, it was so right and serene.

Quil scooped up Claire, who was about to wander into a soggy pool and ruin her dress. She shrieked happily, throwing her arms around him, and he smiled.

Sandy was holding hands with Seth and kept brushing his black hair out of his face. I physically couldn't be any happier for her; she'd been rough for a while after Nathan and I. Now we were on the terms we'd been on pre-imprint madness. Practically everyone in the pack had found their soul mate, even the extremely new wolves. Embry was the only one unattached, and he was grumpy and anxious about the pressure. I wasn't worried for him; if Sandy and I had imprinted, he couldn't be far behind.

I'd been thinking more and more about my original 'genetic dead end' view, and it just didn't make sense any more, what with both of us bonded in the normal way, and the whole heat issue. Maybe there was something about werewolf matches that circumvented the frozen in time? I wasn't sure, because I wasn't pregnant (as of yet), and Sandy wasn't either. If she'd even been sleeping with Seth, she was hiding it extremely well, not thinking about it when she was wolf. But, she hadn't experienced heat yet, so it was probably a matter of time. Nathan and I pretty much gave away any secrets we had on our first day, so we weren't on red alert trying to hide it.

Seth was the one most effected by Nathan and I, and he was a little more on edge than usual when he was wolf. I empathized with him, it was like Sam again only doubled: his sister lusting after his virtual brother, his brother almost constantly wanting to bang his sister. It was mind rape, but what could we do about it? We tried not to think, but it was inevitable.

The Cullens were even represented in full force at the wedding, which (although it made my nose wrinkle occasionally), was an enjoyable thing. I'd mellowed out about them since the events of several months ago, and since the unfortunate Bella-Fixation had been rectified, I was actually almost close to her. And Nessie, she was just fantastic. About the size of a kindergartner, she stood like a statue next to her mother. When she saw me staring, she smiled and wiggled her pale fingers at me.

_Hi Lee Lee_, she mouthed.

_Hi Ness_, I mouthed back. She smiled at me, twirling the skirt of her bright pink dress, digging her toes into the sand. Bella was getting better at dressing her; the bright colors contrasted beautifully with Nessie's alabaster skin. Bella herself was in flowing dark blue, which kept Edward's eyes glued to her. Rosalie was still on tense terms with the pack, and no one particularly wanted her here to sour an incredibly important event for the entire werewolf community. She and Emmett were reportedly back at the house, enjoying some alone time. Esme was beaming at everyone, talking easily with Charlie, Billy, and my mother. Carlisle was at the hospital, but he sent his regards.

Alice and Jasper stood in the back. I rolled my eyes at Alice; she was in va-va-voom red, girl didn't know the meaning of the word 'casual'. Jasper was dressed more normally, tense, ready to leave. Jasper was still the least controlled vampire, but he was better. It was a precaution, as most of the people here were part wolf and (apparently) didn't smell like food. Blonde and lanky next to the petite ink-haired, red-dressed sprite, they somehow seemed right together. Like the way you could tell that Nessie and Jacob were meant, and the other imprinted pairs. Like Edward and Bella, too. I supposed it's the same as how Nathan and I looked at each other. I glanced at him. He was making an absurd face at Sandy, and she was giggling. I felt like I was about to swoon, just looking at him. Even making the most idiotic face I'd seen in a while. He turned to me, tongue still out, and paused, seeing my undoubtably slavish expression.

"You're making it difficult for me to breathe normally," I murmured, looping arms around his waist. "Which is unfair, seeing as you're unaffected by even my prettiest state, and I'm fainting over you trying to look unattractive."

"Unaffected?" he said, encasing me in his arms. "That's a lie. I'm surprised I've got my drool under control. And Leah, you're not pretty." My face fell for a split second. "You're...stunning. Literally. I couldn't move when you walked out." His hands stroked my curls softly, rough fingertips snagging on the smooth strands. I gently touched my lips to his, fire meeting fire. I wasn't smiling, my eyes were wide and filled with worshipping adoration. My breathing wasn't completely under control, but I couldn't take my gaze off of his deep, calm eyes...

I couldn't stop myself, I was lost --- immediately lost --- in her dark brown, speckled eyes. I used to think that that was a figure of speech, lost in someone's eyes. It isn't. Time, place, reason, everything fell away as we stood. A volcano could have erupted right next to my face and I wouldn't notice it until I was caked in cooling lava. And only then because I wouldn't be able to see her --- Leah.

_Leah._

I got so blissed out when I even glanced in her direction, so thrilled by her smallest move, every tiny thrum of her veins. I was acutely aware of her smell, even, like the forest and lemons and crackling firewood. Beautiful natural things. I was about to lean in and kiss her again, but Jake called everyone to attention. I sighed.

"Nice timing Jake," I muttered mutinously. Leah giggled, and shoved me off toward the carpets before scooting to the far end of the aisle. Jake wheeled Billy to the front, where he would preside over the wedding. The leader of the tribe was the one sanctioned by all ancient texts to marry couples, and Billy was the bloodline elder. Jacob or Sam should have technically led the service, but it was Sam's wedding and Jake was too young anyway. He pivoted Billy's chair so that he was facing the crowd. Jacob kneeled, setting fire to a small pile of driftwood. The blaze crackled swiftly to life, glowing blue-green with salt. Billy smiled, then started speaking in Quileute.

"This is a beautiful day," he said, his deep voice resonating over the crash of the waves and the snap of the fire. "We are here to witness a blessed event: the wedding of Samuel Uley and Emily Young. Sam," he said, gesturing for him to rise from the rug he kneeled on. Sam, usually so calm, looked like he was going to faint. It would have been funny if it wasn't a foreshadowing of my own soon-to-be wedding. Sam walked quickly up to Billy's left side, Jacob moving over on Sam's other side.

With a whisper of silk, Leah started slowly down the center, holding yellow daisies in her hands. She smiled, her coppery skin glowing in the cloud light. Her brown eyes found mine, and she grinned wider, white teeth flashing at me. She reached Billy and Jacob, kneeling near the flames. She dipped the driftwood into the flames, letting it catch. She stood on Billy's right, holding her flowers and beaming down the aisle as Emily danced happily towards her Sam. White linen flowed out behind her. Her scars seemed nonexistent, her smile perfect, the lilacs in her hair part of her genetics. She carried daises too, with more lilacs and white roses. Emily traded her bouquet to my Lee for a driftwood torch. She planted both bouquets upright in the firm sand, then lit a slimmer torch. Jacob held a similar one.

They clasped hands, clinging to the torch and staring into each others eyes, not focusing on Billy's continuing speech about tribe and love. At a signal from Billy, Jake and Leah lit the stick in Emily and Sam's hands. Leah beamed at Emily, grasping her shoulder, then extinguished her torch by shoving it face down in the sand. I thought I saw the flame lick over her finger, but she clenched her hand once and the burn disappeared. I grinned at her. Her eyes warmed, the green-brown changing from a calm crystal to light filtering through leaves.

I didn't really listen to Billy either, but instead pretended that this was our moment, the moment she and I would belong to each other in a more tangible way. By then all of our mutual insecurities would be history. We'd just be a single soul. Leah's lips moved with Billy's, silently vowing---_to love forever, deeply; to care and keep; to protect and cherish; to love irrationally, devoutly, and biasedly._ A lump rose to my throat as we locked eyes.

"I do," the four of us whispered.

"I do," the four of us whispered.

_Hurry up, Billy_, I thought, _I want to make out with Nathan!_ I tried not to stamp my feet impatiently as Sam kissed Emily. Funny how that didn't hurt anymore. Refreshing. Nathan was staring at me so hard that I thought my dress was going to catch on fire from my blush. Not that he would have minded. Sandy and Seth had their hands clasped and were making cow eyes at each other, their faces close. Now why'd I have to be part of the wedding? I could be all over Nathan! I dug my feet into the sand, finding the smoldering embers of my torch. They scorched through the skin on my feet, and I used that as a minor distraction as Emily and Sam walked down the aisle. Jake and I hooked arms, neither of us paying attention to each other, each staring at our imprint as we walked past the now cheering crowd.

We skipped congratulating the bride and ended up in the back of my car.

"I'm kind of sorry to mess up your hair," he breathed, tangling his hands further so that the curls almost disintegrated in the dying moans of hairspray. I laughed in the same, airless tone.  
"Yeah, it looked nice. We already took the pictures." I shifted my dress so that it was above my knees as I straddled him. "Ruining the dress is a bigger deal. So be good, Nate." He growled and tipped me over so I pressed against the back window and he loomed over me.

"Being good is kind of hard," he whispered, pressed against my neck, pushing down the thin straps of my dress. He laughed.

"What's so funny?" I said, clutching his face closer to my collar bone.

"You've got a new bra," he said, "I like it." I giggled.

"Guess what matches?" I said tantalizingly, closing my legs in teasing. He blushed and laughed.

"I can guess," he murmured.

There was a rap on the window.

"You're steaming up the car, guys," Embry's voice came muffled through the glass.

"FUCK OFF!" we both shouted angrily.

"What, so you two can?" he replied. "We've got a reception to get to! You promised a ride!"

Nathan and I shared an agonized, exasperated look. I rolled my eyes and pulled my dress back to where it was supposed to be. Nathan buttoned up his shirt again and tried not to look horny. And failed.

"This isn't going to work," he muttered, looking at the bulge in his pants.

"They won't give me time to fix that," I sighed regretfully, "But I can stop them from making fun of us, if that's any consolation." He smirked.

"I have a feeling that is something I want to hear."

I unlocked the doors and Embry and Quil piled in the front and passenger seats. They looked back at us, grinning immaturely. Quil opened his mouth to speak.

"Excuse me," I cut him off, "Quil, you're not going to get any for at least ten years. Embry, you wish you had an imprint." They both glared at me. I twirled my finger at them imperiously.

"I thought we had a reception to go to," I reminded them lightly. "Drive."

Embry swore to himself for a seconds, then started up the car.

"That was harsh, Lee," Nate said.

"Sorry Embry, sorry Quil," I muttered in a condescending voice.

"At least we're not hard at someone else's wedding," Embry snorted. I growled at them.

"At least we have normal names!"

Silence.

"Daaaaaaaaaamn, Leah," Nathan said, impressed.

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**Review? Por favor?**


	9. I Can't Help

**DRAMA! Updating legit like right now. The story's all written but for the epilogue. :) 3 Leeeeeeeee**

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"Is my hair that bad?"

"Leah, you're beautiful."

"You always say that, Nathan. Quil?"

He turned and stared at me blankly from the front seat.

"Okay, you have no idea what I'm talking about."

"Nope," he said happily, turning around again.

"I'll ask Alice. She'll be pleased," I muttered, rolling my eyes. The drive was pretty short, just to a few beaches over. There was no way a reception hall was going to hold about twenty werewolves, a giant vampire coven, and a bunch of normal people. Or enough food to feed us all. I stayed in the car for a few extra moments and emerged in a sundress I'd brought. Silk was too nice for an extended stay at the beach. Emily and I had planned ahead. Everyone else had ditched their ties, opened collars, and relaxed happily as the wolves devoured half of the food.

I saw my mother chatting happily with her sister, Emily's mother. Aunt Lizzie wasn't precisely in on the whole supernatural deal, but she knew something was up, and didn't press the issue. She just wanted to see her daughter happy. They sat gossiping with the rest of our family.

Jake found me and dragged me toward a small music setup, exasperatedly rolling his eyes.

"Leah, way to show up," he complained. I yanked my wrist back and walked toward the band myself. I'd kind of forgotten, truth be told. Em had asked me to sing the first song. I went over and tapped the crap, battery powered microphone. It clicked on with a buzz of feedback, and the crowd laughed.

I smiled and gave an awkward little wave.

"Uh, hi," I said, "I'm Leah. As most of you know. But if you didn't...hi." They laughed again. "So, Emily's my cousin, and we're really very close. She asked me to say a few things, then sing y'all a little song." I smirked as Jasper, in the back, snorted at my accent. "So, Sam is honestly the best thing for Emily. And he couldn't live without her." I smiled. "They're soul mates." Everyone 'aww'ed.

The keyboardist started a few tinkling notes. My eyes sharpened to the figures walking towards a rough circle in front of the band. I smiled again.

"May I present Mr. and Mrs. Sam Uley."

Applause galore, and the couple drifted to the center of the circle.

The piano got louder, though the notes were still bright and wondering.

"At last, my love has come around." There were scattered gasps at my voice. The guys certainly didn't know I could sing, but my family seemed kind of surprised too. Whatever.

Sam and Emily rotated slowly in the center, clinging to each other, not paying attention in any way to the music. Everyone sighed and whispered and grinned, except for Nathan. He just stared at me as I clutched the mike, and I looked only at him.

I finished up the song and everyone clapped. Lizzie walked out into the circle, and as the band struck up again, a short guy with a guitar took the mike from me. Emily happily took the hands of her father and Sam took Lizzie's. I knew I had to dance with Jake first, but that made me severely upset.

I stared at Nathan as I twirled around with Jake. I was leading; he couldn't dance for shit.

"Leah, you're going to rip off my arm," he complained, and I tried to slacken my grip on his hand and shoulder. The next song ended, and I smirked and sarcastically saluted Jake. He laughed, but by that time I was in Nathan's arms, kissing him. I heard Lizzie chuckle as she waltzed past with my giggling mother in tow.

A tap came on my shoulder.

"I didn't know you had a boyfriend," a deep voice said.

My cousin Frankie, now twenty four, raised his eyebrows at my display. He was my father's brother's son, so he wasn't related to Emily. If he and his mom hadn't moved to Oregon when Uncle John passed away, he might have been the first to phase. As it was, he wasn't in on the secret. That would have been a weird alternative: Frankie as an alpha. I shook my head.

"Fiancee, Frankie," I corrected him gleefully. He wrapped his arm around my waist, holding out one hand to my incredulous, immature cousin.

"No way, Leah! Oh shit!" He shook Nathan's hand. "I'm Frankie, congrats." He paused for a minute, then narrowed his eyes at me. "Aw god, Leah. Are you telling me I'm the _only_ single cousin now? Wait," he cast around frantically, "Where's Seth?" He spotted him kissing Sandy on the dance floor, standing stock still while people almost crashed into them. He turned back to us with a look of intense weariness.

"I'm gonna have to eat at that table," he said tiredly, "And all anyone's going to talk about is getting me a wife."

"I'm sorry for your troubles," Nathan laughed.

"If you weren't so obnoxious," I started, and he punched my shoulder. I punched him back and he winced.

"You got tougher," he said in an accusative tone.

"A _lot_ tougher. Special workout," I smirked. He smiled.

Nathan pulled me closer.

"If you'll excuse us," he said pleasantly, "I kind of want to dance with my fiancee." He loved saying that I was his fiancee.

Frankie laughed, probably at the stupid, imprint-look we both had on our faces.

"Wise men say, only fools rush in," the singer crooned, "But I can't help falling in love with you."

"Appropriate," he said, twirling me around the dance floor. My skirt billowed out in a trail as we clung to each other, spinning like tops to the slow song. Even Alice was looking at us in envy. We were pretty good at dancing, but I think it was our aura rather than that. Unless it was that we were the only two on the dance floor besides Quil swaying with Claire, way off to the side. We smirked at each other.

"Can we dance in a bit, actually?" I asked him, "I'm starving."

"Would I say no?" he smirked, "It's been a good two hours since I've eaten, too."

"Two hours?" I said skeptically, "Two hours ago was during the wedding."

"I had a snack, okay?" he teased.

A few minutes later, we were perched at the werewolf table, munching on ribs and salad. The ribs were getting difficult to eat; I wanted my dress to stay relatively pretty, it was a really nice orange one.

Nathan rolled his eyes at me as I leaned way too close to the table so nothing would drip on my dress. Then he inexplicably stiffened, and his eyes narrowed. My face crumpled in worriment, but then I saw Frankie at the family table, across the sparsely populated dance floor, tilt his head in our direction.

"So what's up with Leah?" he asked quietly. We could hear him perfectly. "Did that Nathan kid knock her up or something? Is that why she broke up with Sam?"

Oh, so _I _broke up with Sam, was it? Nathan started snarling next to me, and his hands vibrated, the plastic fork and knife in them disintegrating in his grip.

"Hush yourself, Frankie," Granny Clearwater snapped at him. She stamped her cane into the sand. "You should be ashamed. That boy is perfect for my Leah. You don't know shit." She locked eyes with me from across the sand and winked, her wrinkled face mischievous. She was a tough old bird, I thought, smiling back at her.

"Yes, ma'am," Frankie murmured, chastised. You didn't mess with Granny Clearwater. She would fuck shit up.

"Nathan, relax," I said, the corners of my lips turning up. "Granny's got it covered." His face slowly lost its rigidity, his hands their vibration.

"You're pretty wonderful, Leah," he said, looking at me, "Most girls would go slap their cousins if they called her a slut."

"Yeah," I challenged, "Well, most guys would go beat the shit out of their fiancee's cousin if he called 'shotgun wedding' at a werewolf party. Also, most girls don't have a Granny Clearwater who curses people out."

He considered this a moment.

"This is true," he conceded.

I laughed.

-------------------------------

"What did you guys do to that car?"

"Don't worry," Billy laughed, "It's a rental."

A rental that was covered in paint and ribbons, with cans hanging from the bumper.

"You want to get to Hawaii, don't you?" Lizzie laughed, kissing her daughter. Sam helped Emily into the car, chuckling to himself. Quil threw a handful of rice at his face, and he spluttered to general applause. Embry and Jake lifted him up, almost in a victory celebration.

"I'll get you, Atera," Sam called threateningly, and Jake and Embry dropped Quil immediately. He landed with a whoosh on the sand.

Sam drove away.

General chaos ensued, as family members hugged family members, werewolves teased Quil, imprints made out, vampires stood apart.

About an hour later, everyone was gone, most everything cleaned up. People got into their cars, finished chatting, and drove away. Quil tucked a snoring Claire into her car seat as Emily's sister watched with pursed lips. Nathan and I walked slowly to our car, holding hands. He fished out the keys, opening the door---

And a wave of ice assaulted our nostrils, bringing tears to our eyes.

Not the Cullens.

But still familiar.

Nathan and I gazed at each other in horror.

The Volturi.

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**O.  
****M.  
****G.  
****!**

**Review!**


	10. Werewolf Fight Club: Rule 2

**Drama llama, shit goes down. A few more notes at the end. Read the chapter first. Lee-Lee**

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Jake and Quil and Embry stood, in identical positions, spread out across the lot, staring into the woods like we were. Hands trembling. Seth and Sandy wandered to our car, then froze with us, looking in.

"Alice?" Jake called, worriedly. She was at his side in a second. She took a breath, then hissed.

"Of course," she hissed, "I couldn't see because I was here!" She cursed in a few different languages for a minute, then there was a phone at her ear.

"Carlisle," she hissed, "Jane and Alec and Felix...and Demitri are back. With one more," she said, "I don't recognize the scent." She closed her eyes and focused hard for a moment.

"The field," she said drowsily, "They'll be at the field in twenty minutes."

"They're checking on Renesemee again," Bella despaired softly. "She's grown. They won't find anything against us. They can't!"

I turned to Nathan and kissed him furiously for one long minute.

"I love you," I whispered as we darted into the trees to phase. "Wait!" I said, eyes widening. I took my anklet off, then ran back to the car, putting it in the glovebox. Tears sprung to my eyes as the glittery little wolf disappeared into the blackness.

I stripped off my dress, folding the voluminous fabric into a small square. I left my underwear in the bush, regretting it all the way, and tied my dress to my ankle loosely. I looked at Nathan, already a wolf and standing beside me, taller than me. I kissed his nose, then burst out of my skin.

_To the field,_ Jake ordered. I sped off, fastest, Nathan hot on my heels.

_I'll scout_, I offered. Nathan growled his anxious disapproval.

_Then come with me, _I added. We bolted off, faster, while Jake howled, sending out the call to the wolves who'd already gone home. Minutes later, we were almost at the clearing, and Paul, Jared, Colin, Brady, and Lyle, one of the newbies, were galloping after us. We were grim. Jake was pushing harder, flying towards Nessie with frantic speed.

Nathan and I arrived in the clearing first. We honed in on the nine pale figures standing there. Jacob flew past us a moment later, skidding to a stop next to the family. Nessie climbed onto his back at Bella's insistence. He was visibly and mentally less tense with Ness safe with him.

We stood.

And waited.

...And waited.

Alice frowned and rubbed her temples.

"Could all of the werewolves please move to one side? I need a minute to see."

The pack circled around Jake and Nessie. Ness reached out and touched my nose.

_Hi, Lee-Lee, _she said. I barked a laugh, and licked her boiling palm. She giggled.

"CRAP," Alice said loudly. We looked toward her. "They crossed your scent," she hissed towards us, "And they're gone. I can't see them. Which means they're not coming here, but they're meeting up with you at some point." I frowned. _Nathan_ echoed through my mind in worry.

_We'll be okay. _But dread colored every mind.

_We'll need to run patrols, _Jake thought, looking at Edward.

"Of course," he replied. "But don't run in anything smaller than groups of pairs."

Jake shook his head. _We wouldn't be so stupid. _

_Or careless_, Nathan added, looking at me.

_Never. _He put his head on my shoulder, and I curled to him.

Nathan and I ran first, always together, our minds parallel. Jake and Embry were behind us, Seth and Sandy further around the circuit. The Clearwaters and Rowans were holding down the basic perimeter while the two boys searched along the trail they'd found. Everyone else had gone home to explain, to take care of their imprints, to prepare.

A sharper than normal scent burned through our minds from Embry and Jake. We all stopped, hair raising. Embry walked forward inexplicably, in contrast with our caution.

_Embry what the hell? _Seth hissed. He shook his head.

_Not sure. The scent is...weird._

It smelled perfectly foul to me, but as I glanced at his mind, I caught his contrasting view. It smelled neutral to him...not exactly vamp, but still cold. We started running towards them, so we could follow up on the trail. Safety in numbers.

Embry kept walking forward, despite Jacob's protestations. We were about a quarter mile away from them when Embry finally dragged away and saw them.

They were watching. Five: the twins, the tracker, the muscle, and another. You could tell by her eyes that she was only a few months old. She and the muscle grinned at the wolves.

Our mind was suddenly and collectively whited out by the roar that filled Embry's ears. He stared at the young vampire. _Stared_ stared.

_Imprint. _

Jake snarled at him. _Get back, now!_

_Wh...why? _Embry stuttered, his gaze locked on her.

I sprung into a higher gear, leaping through the woods toward them. This was bad shit. This was incredibly bad shit. Nathan ran as fast as he could behind me.

_I'm not leaving you unprotected, _he snarled under his breath, the vampire smell flooding his senses.

Embry was trying to phase, but Jacob grabbed his tail in his mouth and started dragging him away. Embry slashed at Jacob's face.

"Aw, how cute," the female purred, "The puppies are fighting." She giggled as the big one looped his arm around her waist.

_Fuck, _we hissed as one. Embry gave a more violent shudder and yanked his tail out of Jake's mouth. Jake lunged, teeth digging into his hamstring. Embry howled, but Jake was able to drag him away. I arrived, and jumped in front of the struggling pair, growling at the vampires. Their red eyes sent tremors that wracked my frame.

"They're rather savage," the girl twin said softly, "They'd be the shape-shifters." She grinned at me, and I saw her eyes sharpen before---

Lightning and agony exploded in my brain. Nathan was gone, my life didn't mean anything except pain; I saw her kill him behind my flickering eyelids, saw him expire on the moss, and I howled.

The evil girl took a step back, and she seemed almost shocked for a moment.

"I've never done that on a mortal before," she said, sounding pleased, "That worked spectacularly. He looks as though he's disintegrating."

My body wasn't listening. The hurt was gone, but the wrenching horror still stayed. I tried to focus, but the vampires swam before my eyes, and I felt the pack mind slipping away...

And I was shakily standing before the group of five, naked and terrified and in pain.

The boy twin raised his eyebrows a fraction. Demitri smiled in a sort of way that terrified me.

"Holy shit," Felix whistled, "It's a girl!"

Nathan hurtled in, planting himself in front of me, snarling and barking.

"Jane," Demitri said carelessly, "Muzzle the mutt."

A smirk twisted her face.

"Stop!" I shrieked, pushing past Nathan as her smile turned on me once again. I writhed on the dirt, but it was much more bearable, because I felt Nathan's wet nose pressing against me, heard his howl, over the roar of his death in my brain. It cut off much faster this time.

The twins wore identical puzzled looks. They didn't know how to love anything. They couldn't fathom what powerful motivation lay behind us.

Felix laughed.

Demitri was still looking at me.

The girl looked bored.

"Can't we just kill them?" she whined. Nathan stiffened, and nudged me, trying to get my to lie over his shoulder so he could run. I couldn't move. My mind was in torture, my body exhausted.

Alec rolled his eyes.

"You want to put _that _in your mouth?" he said, looking mildly disgusted. "Just the smell of it." He shook his head.

Demitri leered at me with a grin that said he disagreed with Alec.

A shuddering growl ripped through me. I felt the silent shimmer as someone phased to human. I didn't look; taking my eyes off of the enemy was a bad idea right now.

Embry walked forward carefully, almost in a trance.

"Hi," he breathed softly, looking at the girl. She paused, blinking crimson eyes, pursing her deathly white lips. "My name is Embry," he said, seeing her hesitation and confusion as a good sign. I walked slowly up to him, tugging his hand.

"Em," I said softly, my eyes narrowed on Demitri, "Let's go." He turned to me, heedless of the hostile vampires I watched.

"Why?" he said incredulously, "And I can't."

"You know why," I said, "And you'll see her again," I murmured, "But when we've got reinforcements so we don't get killed."

"She wouldn't," he said, star struck. His face clenched painfully for a second. "Name," he muttered. "What's your name?" he said, taking another step closer while I tried to tug him back. He was stronger, and I dragged along like a dead weight, stumbling forward to my knees.

"My name?" the girl said, dazed. The hell? Why does she look so confused? "Gianna."

"Gianna," he breathed. She smiled nervously, then glanced at Felix's sour face. Her own face fell. "Uh," she said, flustered, "What do you want...dog?" she said, hesitantly.

"She's mine, you little fucker," Felix hissed. Embry stared him down, straightening and clenching his fists. He was taller than the vampire, and he had better motivation. Embry finally took a miniscule step back. I glanced at him, wary of his mood swings.

I blushed as I glanced back at the vampires. Alec was looking at me, mildly perturbed. Demitri's eyes never left me. I blushed as I realized I was at basic cock-sucking level on Embry, and I quickly stood, grimacing. The tracker grinned again, and I snarled and phased. I stood beside Nathan, an unbroken stream of wolf-cursing sounding through my growl. Nate was a ball of rage and nerves, and I knew that if I hadn't phased within a minute, he would have torn Demitri's face off.

Embry backed away so that he was level with us. He looked at Gianna one more time.

"I'll be back," he said to her, "I promise." And he burst into a ball of fur.

We backed away, slowly, cautiously.

_I'm going to kill Demitri, _Nathan growled.

_We're. WE'RE going to kill Demitri, _I corrected him with a louder snarl. He licked my cheek.

_Are you okay? _

_I think so. For now. _I shuddered.

Jacob circled around in front of us. After we were sure they couldn't see us, we turned tail and galloped away.

_Seth_, Jake finally said as we neared the perimeter of La Push. _Go. Get everyone. I don't care, just get them all. We have extreme hostiles who will hunt and are...difficult to overpower. Bella can shield us from the twins. If we could get Bella away from Nessie..._His thought process clenched off. Leaving Nessie in any way vulnerable was impossible for him. We allowed that. Imprints came first. Rule Number Two of La Push Fight Club. (Rule One was If something is broken, a boy wolf did it.) (Ironically, Don't talk about Wolf Pack was Rule Three, as apposed to being the most important.)

_I'll go with him,_ Embry said suddenly, _I've got to ask my mom...the truth. _He shuddered awkwardly_. _We knew what he meant. He needed some closure on the issue of who his father was. It wasn't a good time to keep secrets.

Jake nodded slowly. The two sped off. I whined worriedly. Sandy was trying not to freak out.

_Run with Jake for a while, _I said quietly, _I need to run with Sandy. _He growled.

_No,_ he said stubbornly, _Not while they're here. _

_Nathan, _I snapped, _Don't be stupid. Do you want Sandy to go to pieces? _She weakly tried to protest, but I shushed her in a motherly way. I slowed as Jake sped up, and we traded places effortlessly. He blew past me. That one was a first.

_Shut it, _he said moodily.

I almost laughed.

_Leah, Sandy, you guys have to be tired._

_YOU THINK WE CAN SLEEP? _we both screeched at Jacob.

_Okay, so I'd ONLY be leaving Seth out here, _Sandy started sarcastically.

_And I'm ONLY be leaving Nathan to go home to my nice, non-safe, possibly vampire-stalked bed, _I raged, shivering at the thought. Nathan gave an angry bark, and Jacob gritted his teeth.

_Besides,_ Sandy added angrily, _Leah and I are the fastest runners you have, besides you. And you need us. _He couldn't argue with that one. We weren't sure if there were more Volturi guards lurking around, or only the five we'd seen. They appeared to have retreated for the time being, but it was impossible to tell if more were waiting in the wings. Embry hadn't come back from his talk with his mom yet. Seth had rallied the troops successfully, and sixteen wolves were roaming around La Push, Forks, and the Cullen property. Sandy and I were outside of Forks, Nathan and Seth (by their adamant insistence) were about a mile behind us on the circuit.

Jake was quiet, he did need us. Sandy and I were pretty much running on manic bitch energy. We hadn't slept or eaten, and we'd made too many circuits of the trail from Forks to La Push around to the mountains to around the Cullen's place and back to Forks. Our minds were in perfect synch, which is why we both froze at the same time when we smelled the vamp.

Demitri flew at us from behind a tree, Felix at his side. Seth and Nathan started burning towards us, howling and snarling madly. We turned to face them, and Felix batted Sandy aside. She whimpered as she crashed into a tree. Her ribs bent and sprung back to their normal shape, and her torn up side healed. Seth roared terrifyingly, jumping onto Felix and taking a chunk out of his arm. He hissed and swiped at Seth. I made a lunge for Felix, but Demitri grabbed me around the middle as I jumped.

His iron arms were so cold they burned, and I screamed, my claws kicking and tearing at his body, with no effect. Nathan was in the clearing but everything froze as Felix grabbed Sandy and held his teeth to her face.

"You," he snarled at me, "Turn human or it dies." Seth roared again, but the teeth just twitched closer to her throat and the roar choked off into a whimper. Nathan was growling at Demitri. I stared, wide eyed and panting.

_Nathan, Nathan, I have to do it. _

_NO! _He howled. The fangs twitched closer.

Seth couldn't form words. He was locked in place like Jacob was the night of Bella's wedding: too much heat, no way to hurt them. He looked at me, already in hell.

I did my best to calm the vibration, put a lid on the heat that frothed with the vampires so close.

_Nathan, I love you. _

I faded into human existence, and Demitri's arms locked across my bare stomach tighter.

"You have," Felix panted, "Four hours to get Gianna back to me. Otherwise, I kill the girl." He dropped Sandy, and we were gone. I barely heard Nathan's howl as they ran.

"NATHAN!" I screamed, before Demitri knocked me out.

* * *

**Oh shit. Like seriously! Oh SHIT!**

**1. Gianna should sound mildly familiar. Yes, she was the receptionist for the Volturi when Bella was having her freaky meltdown in Volterra. Also, I know someone was like 'poor Embry' a few chapters ago, and I was like 'don't worry'. This is why. Even though it's not really going well for him right now.**

**2. YES DEMITRI IS A CREEPER. And if you say 'o m g wtf why didnt teh wulvz rip da vampz up yo?' I will say to you a.) wow, your chatspeak is utterly horrible, and b.) now what would that make the Volturi do? I'm sure they'd be pleased or something...or maybe not. Or maybe they'd just kill everyone. **

**So. Review. **


	11. Bitten

**AHHHH HOLY SHIT LAST CHAPTER BEFORE THE EPILOGUE HOLY SHIT GUYS**

* * *

"She's lucky she's still out," someone muttered near me. I tried to figure out what was happening through the haze in my aching head. Was I hung over from Emily's wedding? No...I struggled to think of it as my nose burned.

My nose burned?

Fuck.

I sat up quickly, then collapsed back down. My head still throbbed painfully. I painstakingly pushed myself up on one arm and looked around. Demitri and Felix were staring at me. Jane looked at a tree, bored enough to consider counting its leaves. Alec sat motionless, eyes open and glazed.

I automatically shot to my feet, despite the fact that my brain felt like it'd been stapled back together recently. My legs bent and the world went sideways as I fell again, panting.

"You've got quite a lot of knock-out drug still in you," Demitri said, grinning, "I wouldn't try standing for a while. Even with your...shall we say _heat_, you're well subdued with the amount I gave you." I mouthed words, mostly curses, but my vocal cords wouldn't follow my brain. He smirked down at me, tutting. "Now, don't go trying to speak, you'll strain your voice." He chuckled as I glared up at him, hate radiating from me. I couldn't muster the distant vibration that was locked inside of my brain; my arms twitched randomly, but didn't let the heat solidify into wolf form.

I curled my legs sluggishly in against my body, hiding as much as I could from the creepy, voyeuristic vampire staring at me. Something brushed against my thigh as I moved. My dress, caked outwardly in mud, was still clinging half-heartedly to my ankle, slumping against the cord.

I could have cried.

I pulled the messy, wrinkled fabric off of my ankle while Demitri watched with interest. I shook it out and tugged it over my head, looking away from him. He sighed exasperatedly. My voice came back in a fiery rage.

"Sorry if that inconveniences you," I snapped, my voice hoarse and indistinct.

"It doesn't...much," he said, smiling again. Alec rolled his eyes slightly.

"Are you going to eat her or what?" he sighed, "Because your games are rather annoying."

My lip curled up and a pretty good growl rumbled from my chest.

"Oh, look at me," Jane snorted, "I'm the wolf girl, I can growl. Just shut it," she hissed. I flinched as she looked at me, hating my fear. I didn't want her to hurt me again. She smiled. "That's more like it." A strange look crossed her face. She turned to Felix. "We could pump her for information," she said, the words strange in her childlike voice, "Their numbers, any weaknesses."

Felix turned to me as I lie on the ground.

"How many shape shifters are there?" he growled. I smiled, bearing my teeth at him. I couldn't tell. Not even if they broke my mind. Jake'd given an injunction. That made me happy.

"Fuck you," I said, my lip twitching. He glared at me.

"Zap her," he said flatly to Jane. She smiled.

This time, Demitri was killing Nathan. It was worse. I didn't think it could get worse. It was worse. When I'd been a wolf, the pain had been diluted slightly by the primal brain. As a human, and without Nathan...

I lay on the ground, sobbing, even after Demitri told Jane to stop. I was relieved that the pain was over, but I was cut almost worse by the fact that he'd been the one to stop her. Shudders were running down my frame, my nerves misfiring, unable to phase because of the drugs. I seized on the ground, trying to silence my hysterics.

"Now tell me," Felix started again, but I didn't hear any of his words. I was still dying. Something cool slithered over my face.

And suddenly, everything was black and colorless and emotionless. I couldn't see, and it didn't matter, I didn't care. I was nothing.

It only lasted a moment---or a lifetime. But just as soon, I was back, blinking rapidly. Alec was looking at me with vague sympathy, icy, colorless tendrils swirling back around him.

I shot to my feet, and stayed there, shakily.

"What," I said, my frame shaking, "Was. That."

He just continued to look at me.

"Alec," Jane sighed, "You are a moron. Wasting your talent on the mongrel."

"Sympathy, Jay-Jay," he muttered, eyes closed again. She hissed at the nickname.

"Tell me about Embry," Felix demanded, striding over and gripping both of my arms in his giant, freezing palms. I snarled and snapped at his face. He grinned, exhaling gustily. His fingers tightened around my arms, and I felt the bruises form, the veins constrict under pressure, even the bones creek as he squeezed. "Your---friend Embry," he spat, "Has about two hours to contact us before I hand you over to _my _friend." He chuckled evilly.

"What friend?" I said through gritted teeth.

"Present," I heard Demitri's voice say. My blood ran cold.

"And I have a feeling that," Felix paused, giving a long, slow smile again, "A certain...Nathan...wouldn't enjoy that a bit."

"You were quite entertaining in your delirium," Demitri added, appearing over Felix's shoulder. "Your subconscious is delightfully detailed."

I couldn't speak. I couldn't move. Jane was nothing. This _fear_ and unadulterated pain was ultimate. Nathan. He would try to kill them. They would kill him.

"No," I said, my voice trembling, "No. You can't. You---I will---I'd---" I couldn't contain my panic. "If---you hurt him---I _swear_---I will _kill_---"

"Then what do you know about Embry?" Felix said, his voice almost pleasant.

"He belongs to her," I said quietly, "And you're not going to stop him."

He slapped me. My neck twisted and vertebrae screeched, then sprung back. A bruise rose and fell on my cheek as he watched for my reaction. I spat in his face. He hissed, leaning towards me without the usual vampire speed. His eyes were dark. The chunk Seth had torn out of his arm was still missing. Good job, little bro.

"You watch it, you shape-shifting whore," he said quietly, "I will break your neck and kill you without thinking about it."

"And where will your bitch be then?" I hissed. The bone in my arm cracked as he tightened his grip on me. The fissure hurt, and I let out a tight breath as a wave of pain shot through my arm. He let go when he heard the infinitesimal click of my arm breaking, looking surprised. I choked back about a million swearwords and pulled on my arm so that it would heal straight. After about thirty seconds of sharp pain, the calcium did its work in filling the crack, and my arm was better. I flexed it.

They looked impressed.

"We should try that again," Jane said gleefully.

I moved into a defensive stance, bearing my teeth again. I backed away from them and into a crouch, my fingers digging into the soft dirt. My shoulder blades stuck out sharper as Demitri walked towards me. I growled loudly, my arms shuddering without heat. I shivered. He crouched at the level of my face, about four feet away, grinning madly.

"I like you on the ground," he whispered, reaching out a hand as though he wanted to touch my face. I snapped at it, but he chuckled and moved closer. I balked, jerking away from him. He sprung forward and pinned me against the ground. He was crushing me beneath his freezing body, and I choked out a scream. I couldn't breathe, and he was too close and too cold and too wrong---

He got off, and I pushed myself ten feet away from him before I realized what I was doing. I was dizzy with vibration in my brain and drugs in my system and distress and anger. My brain wouldn't let the heat and vibration spread. I coughed violently, almost ill, trying not to pass out again. I didn't want to be alone with _him_.

Alec stood and walked over to me. I moved away, warier of him than of Felix. Felix could only hurt me. Alec could take away my soul.

"Where's this Embry?" he said quietly.

"I don't know," I said, locking eyes with him. I didn't. He nodded slowly and backed away.

I bent my head, struggling to stay aware, determined not to slip into a drug-induced sleep. I didn't want to know what Demitri would do. Though I already did.

I drew patterns in the dirt to keep awake. Nathan. Nathan as a wolf. Our names in a heart. I wiped the mud after each picture, a makeshift etch-a-sketch. Concentrating on him, it wasn't hard to keep calm.

"They've got twenty minutes," Jane finally said, looking at me malevolently. My eyes popped open wide. It couldn't have been.

"We've waited long enough," Demitri said, taking a step towards me. I scrambled to my feet, stumbling. How much dope had they given me? It had to be pretty fucked up shit to mess me up for this long.

He was too fast.

He pinned my wrists in one hand, wrapping his arm crushingly tight around me. He lowered his lips to my shoulder, his teeth far too close. I tried to kick him, and fractured my toes. I drew in a squashed breath and was about to scream when he pressed his face up to mind. I choked.

"If you scream," he whispered, "Your Nathan will come running, and I will kill him." I strangled a sob.

"I hate you," I said, my voice full of tears and revulsion. I gritted my teeth, spastic tremors going through my compressed arms. I can't honestly say I didn't know what I had to do. He needed it. Nathan. I'm protecting Nathan. I screwed my eyes shut.

"Just do it," I hissed, pained. "Do whatever you're...going to do." He looked at me, shocked. "But will you let me go?"

He didn't answer, but cut one of the straps on my dress with his teeth. I shuddered. I stared off over his shoulder. The rest of the vampires were gone. Off on a search and kill mission for Embry. He'd be okay. I hoped I'd be okay. I'd be okay. I'd be okay.

He tore about a foot from the hem of my dress, leaving it very short. He threw the orange scrap onto the grass.

We froze simultaneously.

Howling. Within half a mile.

I heard Nathan.

Every ounce of heat that the drug had subdued flooded my cells at the sound of his voice. Nathan. Nathan.

_Nathan!_

_LEAH! _

Scraps of my dress fluttered around the clearing. I'd knocked Demitri down, and I shot him a look of strange loathing and pity before jumping across the clearing and towards the conflict. He wouldn't be able to catch me.

_Nathan, I'm coming! _I screamed.

I jumped into the clearing, skidding to a halt at his side, snarling and biting at air. We were circled around Gianna, Embry foremost in front of Felix.

"Felix," she said. We didn't relax. Jane was glaring at me, waiting for a sign from him. She wasn't used to following orders, but she needed Gianna out before she and Alec could wipe us out.

I was totally well now that I was at his side again.

"Felix, stop!" Gianna cried out as he crouched to attack Embry. "Stop it! I'm staying!" He froze, an ice sculpture.

"Why?" Jane gasped, completely flabbergasted. "With _him_?" She gestured to Embry, still tensed in front of Felix. I moved over, physically needing Nathan. We pressed against each other's sides. Our thoughts tumbled.

"Wait," Felix said slowly. I tensed. "What are you doing here?" he snarled at me. Nathan barked.

Demitri walked into the clearing, looking at me with almost hatred. That was better than any look he'd given me so far. Nate snarled, growling loudly. Gianna had to shout over him.

"The child has grown," she said, "You've done what you needed to do. I can't go with you." She put a hand on Embry's flank.

"I'll kill you, you little---" he snarled, taking a step. I leapt toward him, settling scores filling my mind with blood. Nathan stepped forward, beside me. Jacob did too, moving the whole pack several feet closer. Embry stayed back, tied to Gianna.

"STOP IT, Felix!" she shouted, frustrated. Everyone froze as she regained her temper. Newborns. "And you," she snapped at Demitri, who flinched, "Leave. Her. Alone." I wagged my tail slightly, growling louder at him. _Damn straight! Girl power. _"You sick, stupid, horrible _thing._" Demitri hissed at her but backed off, and Embry barked deafeningly.

"Stop, Felix," Demitri said. Felix wheeled on him, face to face. "You can't make her come with you! See reason, Felix! There will be others," he said, eyeing me. I stared back. Felix turned and lunged at Embry, but Demitri caught him and threw him back. Nathan and I surged forward with them as they disappeared.

Struggling to get back to Gianna, Felix crouched and glared at Demitri, then at the two of us to the side. He faked a lunge toward the vampire, then dove towards us, but we were ready. Nathan sprung into the air and I tore forward towards Felix's legs. I heard screeching, ripping sounds as Nathan made contact with the flesh above, but Demitri grabbed me by the tail angrily, staring at me crazily again. I wheeled mid-course, sinking my teeth into his hand as he ducked to bite me.

He hissed and cursed, and with a flick of his wrist, he sent me flying.

But I twisted my head and, with a screech, tore off the side of his hand as he threw me.

I crashed through the bushes, followed a moment later by a dazed Nathan, holding most of Felix's arm in his teeth. Shock blotted out my mind for a moment, but then I heard the vampires hissing and fighting in the clearing. We doubled back around to where the rest of the pack was tensed, not knowing what to do.

"She's _mine_," Felix yelled.

Demitri hissed, and there were more tearing noises.

"Let it GO, Felix! I will, and you will, or by God I will tear your head off!"

Another screech echoed through the trees. Our hair was on end as we stood. Jane and Alec were unchanged, frozen, apathetic of the fight.

I wobbled on my feet.

_What, Leah? _Nathan whimpered.

_My ear's just cold. _

That sunk in for a moment, before my knees bent and I fell. Nathan dropped the arm in shock. Ice seeped from the tip of my ear through the network of veins down across my skull, spreading further.

_He got me,_ I thought slowly. Nathan howled, and scooped me onto his shoulders, running towards the Cullen house.

_Why there? _I thought, muddled, as he sped to the white house.

_EDWARD! BRING NESSIE! PLEASE! _he shouted with his mind. He gently eased me off of his shoulder, down onto the grass. I shivered. Why was it so cold?

Jake was staring at Edward.

_She got bit!_

"I know," Carlisle said, instantly at our sides.

"We can smell the venom," Edward said, disgusted.

_ENOUGH WITH THE FUCKING BIOLOGY LESSON, _Nathan screamed, _Where's Nessie?_

"Why?" Edward asked as Bella and Alice sped out, clutching the child.

_She doesn't have venom_, Nathan hissed, _She's got to save her._ He collapsed against me, sobbing. _Please, just please. She can't---I can't---Please..._ Giant tears splashed on my side.

_Don't...cry..._I thought, the ice seeping down my front legs.

"Nessie," Edward said, taking his daughter in his arms and placing her by my head, "Leah is very sick."

"Bitten," she whispered, touching my ear.

"Can you suck it out?" he said. She nodded readily, bending to my ear.

Her teeth sliced through my flesh. It hurt, but less than my broken arm.

She sucked, and it felt like she was pulling iron through my veins with a magnet. Little pieces stung my veins, the sludge seemed to have solidified across my legs and embedded in my skull. The blood leaving me was a horrible, empty feeling; if I'd had strength, I'd have panicked.

After an eternity, I felt her teeth gently release their grip on me. The wound healed over, and I was fuzzily aware of Nathan crying, tears dripping on my face.

_I told you not...to cry, _I thought slowly, twitching my head so that it rested on his giant paw. He licked my face, unable to form the words.

"She's okay," Nessie said, touching back. Bella gasped.

"Her ear," she started.

"Too much damage," Nessie sighed. "Sorry, Lee." I gave my ear an experimental twitch. It felt lighter, and it made this flapping noise. I glanced into Nate's mind, and saw that my ear was about half gone. He smiled at me.

_You look badass,_ he muttered, a last tear plopping onto my face.

Felix and Demitri walked slowly into the clearing. Nathan sprung up, standing over me. Demitri had a bite mark on his face, but Felix was missing both arms. We sucked in a collective breath. Jane held one, but didn't seem happy about it. Felix was stony faced and looked pained. I couldn't help but smile when Served him right.

"Why do I have to carry the arm?" Jane said, her voice piercing and self-righteous. Demitri turned to her, his face gone impassive with rage.

"Jay," Alec sighed, "Carry the arm." She pouted and glared at Demitri, who winced for a moment before turning to the pack again.

"We'll be leaving shortly," he said blankly. "The child?" Jacob growled, and he stepped forward, along with Lyle, Jared, Paul, and Quil. He jerked his head at Demitri.

"It is deserved. We won't attack," Demitri replied. He raised his eyebrows at Seth, who clutched Felix's other arm in his mouth, which was _still_ missing the original part he'd torn from it earlier. He must have picked it up when Nathan ran away with me. He growled for a moment, then flicked his head and tossed it. Alec caught it neatly.

Sandy trotted up to me and dropped half of Demitri's hand next to my face. I grimaced and licked her cheek in thanks. Everyone looked at me pointedly, but I didn't return the part of Demitri's hand. I just sat up, nestled safely between Nathan's legs, and glared at him, daring him to take it. He didn't.

_Pussies_, Embry thought, wagging his tail.

Bella, Edward, and Jacob walked forward, Nessie clinging to her mother. She was flushed and afraid. Carlisle stood in front of his family.

"She has grown, though slower now, and we have proof," Carlisle said clearly. "You see yourself. She's larger, more adult, than when you saw her last."

"We'll report it to Aro," Demitri said, "I see that as well." He glared at me, and turned into the forest. Jane fumed in silence. Alec nodded slightly at me, a goodbye. I wrinkled my nose, but blinked in acceptance. They slid into the forest.

I spat out the hand and collapsed on the ground, dragging Nathan down on top of me with my teeth.

_I am never leaving you again_, he scolded as I licked his face.

_Ditto. You are getting so much sex tonight it's not even funny_, I groaned.

_EW. _

_Sorry guys. _I would have blushed. Seth nudged me, half buried as I was under Nathan.

_Lee, are you...okay? _he asked anxiously, his tail wagging unhappily.

_I'm fine, Seth. Guess we both tore off a chunk of the Volturi today. Sandy, you okay?_

_Yes, babe. He didn't bite. Thanks, by the way._

_No prob._

Gianna smiled at me, then went back to touching Embry's cheek gently.

_Embry, she's not so bad. Good call, _I thought.

He grinned.

We waited until Jake and the rest had given the all clear. Embry phased for a very short time to kiss Gianna and build a small fire to burn Demitri's hand and Felix's forearm. The putrid smoke filled the clearing, making our eyes burn. Gianna watched the smoke spiral up, crying tearlessly as Embry tried to sooth her.

We galloped home, phased.

"Nathan," I said, through his lips, "We should take a shower. We smell."

"No problem," he moaned, hitching my thighs around his waist as he opened the back door. He ran us up the stairs, wobbling and crashing into the wall and banister twice. They held, though, and I groped around the tub to start the water. Nathan sat me on the edge of the tub and continued kissing me while the water filled the tub. He pushed me in and climbed on top of me, up to my waist in very hot water.

"I missed you," I muttered. He chuckled.

"I almost died," he whispered.

I tried to reply, but he pressed his fingers against my hips. My breath hissed in.

"Now about that 'so much sex tonight'," he murmured lustily. He shoved me under the water and moved my legs apart with his knees. I kissed him, my breath coming out in bubbles. He finally dragged me to the surface, but I didn't notice. It was the same.

He was air.

* * *

**Awww. An epilogue is coming, but this is basically it for now. I've written something with my Claire that's much later, but we'll post it as a separate story perhaps? I've got to talk with her. Thanks for stickin' with me, people. ~Leahhhhhhh**


	12. Epilogue: Win Win

**A/N: This chapter is very long, and entirely fluff/smut. Don't like, don't care, don't read. :) But it's a happy, girly ending to a long and stressful time for Leah. So...there you are.**

**I don't own Twilight, but Nathan and Sandy and the people you don't know are mine. **

* * *

_Weddings are a good time to explain everything. Everyone's happy, everyone's smiling, and goddammit if any Volturi show up they can take a goddam number._

_-------_

"Lee? Wake up honey. They're going to kick me out soon."

I opened my eyes slowly, luxuriating in the feeling of his fingers trailing down my side. His other hand tangled in my hair, stroking my chipped ear. I glanced at my clock. The red numbers burned 6:49 into my sleep filled eyes.

"Already?" I looked at the circles around his eyes. "Did you sleep at all?"

"Nah," he said, tracing across my stomach now. "I was watching you sleep." I smirked.

"Really? That's all?" I muttered slyly.

He blushed.

"That explains my dream," I smiled, "You're allowed to touch. I'm yours. Why didn't you wake me? I could use some fun before the hell." He smirked sheepishly.

"It's not going to be hell."

I rubbed my eyes and rolled on top of him, splaying my legs. We kissed for a very long time before he flipped us over and curled me closer. I sucked on his tongue, pressing my legs against his.

Sandy knocked on the door, and I groaned. Nathan rolled off of me, sighing, as I grabbed my comforter and threw it over him.

"Come on in," I sighed, reluctantly hooking my bra back up. I cast around the room as she opened the door, pulling some red shorts and a dark tank top on while she waited.

"Hey Nate," Sandy smirked, seeing him cringe, trying to hide his hard on.

"You couldn't have come in like...ten minutes?" he complained, rolling over. I stretched, watching his eyes rake over my stomach as the shirt pulled up.

"I knew it," she said, smirking at her brother then at me, "No stamina. Ten minutes? Really?" He threw a pillow at her, which she dodged, laughing.

"The alarm clock's coming next, Sandra," he growled, yanking the thing up in his hand menacingly. She skipped out of the door, laughing.

I walked over to kiss him goodbye, then climbed on top of him instead. "Who cares about Sandy," he sighed into my lips. I reached back to unhook my bra again as he pulled up my shirt.

"Sandy," I complained as she dragged me off of him by my hair.

"Let the boy jerk off in peace," she said, pulling me out.

"He wouldn't have to if you showed up in ten minutes," I muttered rebelliously.

"Hey, do you want me here or not?" she challenged. I gave up.

"Yeah..." I grinned ruefully. "I'd freak out." We walked into the woods, stripped down, then phased.

_So,_ Sandy started, _Let's run. _

_Bachelorette party, here I come, _I twittered excitedly.

_La Push style,_ she snickered.

We ran. We got to probably...I don't know...Canada somewhere? Distances are strange in wolf. We went pretty far. Bride-to-be adrenaline.

_You all packed? _she asked as we reentered the Forks area, about seventeen hours later. I was tired, but not much: it was the day before my wedding.

_Yeah, _I smiled, anticipating, _we're all boxed up and it's going to the post office today. Mom's taking it. _

We trotted up to the woods near my back porch. Emily's car was parked out front. I phased, dressed, and walked into the door. Sandy was going back to her place to shower and change.

"Okay guys," I called into the living room, and my mother and Emily fluttered in. Claire toddled in their wake, smiling and sucking on her hand.

"Leah," my mother said, her voice choked up. "You're getting married tomorrow!"

"I hadn't known, Ma," I said smiling. I forestalled their girlish questions with outstretched hands. "Shower. I need a shower." I darted back upstairs, relaxing in the warm water. The house wasn't the same without Nathan's constant presence. I hadn't showered alone in a while. I sighed, rubbing a disproportionate amount of conditioner through my short hair. I dried off, pulling leggings and a green tube dress. I tossed together two quick, cute braids, then trotted downstairs. Thoughtful Mom had made pancakes, which I inhaled.

"Ready, ladies?" I said, shoving on some flip flops.

"YEZ LEE-LEE!" Claire squealed.

"You're getting your nails painted, right Claire?" I asked, scooping her into my arms. "What color?"

"Wed! Cwai hab wed nails!" she giggled.

I carried her to the car, and we chattered about preschool, about her friend Tristan, about Nathan and me getting married, and her flower girl dress.

Mani/pedis in Port Angeles. Early dinner at a restaurant. Mom drove on the way home, and I fell asleep to the chatter of the girls, Claire tucked into my warm arms.

------------

My bed wasn't exactly cold, as per me being a werewolf, but the effect was the same.

Nathan had gone running with Jake and Seth and Quil while I flittered through the day with my ladies-in-waiting.

I opened my eyes. Today. I was getting married. Nathan.

The next several hours were a blur. Sandy and Emily and Mom and Granny running around the house, taking pictures and putting on dresses. I was hooked into a black corset, my white strapless dress flowing like clouds over my body, down to my calves. I blinked my carefully made up eyes at my reflection as Emily wove small braids into my loose hair, lilac ribbons interspersed.

I almost ran to the beach, and it was difficult to wait behind everyone while Claire skipped down the aisle hand-in-hand with Emily. Sandy went next. I stared down the center row at Nathan. Done up all in white. Seth walked with me down the aisle, in place of Dad, and kept me on pace. Otherwise the bride would have tackled the groom and half of the wedding party, and that's not very ladylike. We walked forward, and Seth kissed me on the cheek and shook Nathan's hand. I spared a grin for him and took Nathan's hand.

"Never let go," he whispered softly. I only smiled, my eyes glistening with tears.

I honestly didn't hear Billy say anything the entire time. I slid Nathan's ring onto his finger. He put the thin, gold band onto my finger, and my eyes closed.

"Do you, Leah Juliet, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, and to love and cherish him for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," I said, my voice strong, "Forever."

"And do you, Nathan Elliot, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, and to love and cherish her for as long as you both shall live?"

"Yes," he whispered, his face like the sun breaking through a cloud, "I do."

"Then I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride," he said to Nathan. He leaned in slowly and pressed his lips to mine softly, unbearably tender. We broke apart, laughing, then he picked me up ant twirled me in his arms. My mother sobbed gently in the front row while Granny Clearwater smiled at me, stamping her cane in approval. He carried me down the aisle, as I curled into his chest.

We had to stop so that everyone could greet us, and I smiled and beamed and shared my excitement with everyone. I scooped up Claire and twirled around with her as she said, "Yoo mawwied! Yoo mawwied!" I jumped up and down ecstatically with Emily and Sandy, kissed my sobbing mother and hugged Granny, who was smiling at me because she knew everything was well again. I kissed him in between people.

Quil, Embry, and Jacob attacked Nathan, ruffling his hair and shoving him around. Quil broke off first and hugged me, followed by the other two goofballs. "Hey Nathan hey Nathan, you gonna do some doggy style?" Embry muttered, shoving Nathan on the shoulder. I laughed and punched him, giggling more when he winced and scurried back to Gianna. She was standing back, near Jasper. They were pretty good buddies. She wasn't having an easy time around humans, but she glowed even happier as her eyes turned slowly gold and she kissed Embry without wincing. Just in case, Jasper was sticking around to calm her down. Alice stood next to him, arms around his waist.

"Ready?" Jake said. We smiled and started walking to where the reception was. I was fully ready to celebrate, because there was no possible way I could be happier.

Sandy stood with the same band that Emily had found before.

"May I now present Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Elliot Rowan!"

The words elated me. "Leah Juliet Rowan," Nathan said. I shivered at the ecstasy of my new name. As the band started up, I curtsied to him and we revolved, twirling beautifully. I kissed him slowly, trembling in his arms. I smiled away, blissfully dancing for a while, then eating, then talking. It passed in a beautiful sort of clarity; I'd never forget this ever.

"Leah," Emily said, laughing, "Your turn!" I smiled and grabbed my bouquet from my table.

"Ready ladies?" I called. The single girls, including a toddling Claire, surged forward. I giggled and picked up Claire in one arm before I turned backwards. "Three, two, one!" I squealed, tossing the roses.

I heard Sandy's triumphant shriek, and turned to see her run into Seth's arms. I laughed.

"I got it! I got it, Seth!" she squealed ecstatically before throwing her arms around him and kissing him.

"Oh Leah!" Nathan called, as Embry, smirking, plopped a chair in the middle of the dance floor before returning to Gianna. He kissed her, and I grinned at them, before I froze, remembering what came next. I blushed, but eagerly walked over and sat. Nathan lifted my skirt, smiling up at me before disappearing. I felt his tongue against my thigh as he traced my blue lace garter with his lips. After a too short moment, he hooked his teeth into it and tugged it down, over my calf and one bare, sandy foot. He grinned at me, then closed his eyes and leaned back, shooting it over the crowd. I watched its arc with a little anxiety.

"Oh HELL no," I groaned as Jake said "Oh CRAP." The crowd laughed and jeered as Jacob stared at the garter in his hands. Nessie laughed, clapping her hands at Jake. Nathan rolled his eyes at us, then blindfolded a heartily protesting Jacob. Quil shoved him forward, and he tripped near my feet.

"Don't touch anything," I hissed.

"Or I'll break your face," Nathan said cheerily.

Jake sighed, clamping the elastic in his teeth. After a very uncoordinated moment, he found my foot and started tugging the thing up my leg. I grew visibly more uncomfortable as he reached above my knee. He slid the garter a bit past my knee, then stopped.

"If I go any further, Nate will kill me." He ducked out, shaking his head and tugging off the blindfold. I rolled my eyes.

"Thank you O Mighty Alpha," I smirked. Nathan stood me up and twirled me around. The band struck up. We spun, my skirt flying out in a wave. He lifted me up, cradling me as he pirouetted.

We dashed toward our car. I think it was Quil who hit us with rice. No one else had thought to bring any. I guess that was his thing. Embry took a handful, and I laughed, glad the windows were up.

"The sunroof! The sunroof!" Jacob whispered to them. They grinned maliciously through the windows.

I don't know how they managed to throw it through there, but Nathan revved the engine and we were off, rice tangled in our hair.

We held hands as he drove to our house.

We changed. I stood in corset and underwear, clinging to Nathan for a solid ten minutes, his hand on my garter. Then, I changed my bra, pulled on black shorts and a black tank top Emily had given me, with 'bride' scrawled across it in bright pink letters. I smiled at myself in the mirror. I sighed, staring at the ring on my finger. I had to take it off. Rolling off a length of the cord we used to tie our clothes to our legs, I slip-knotted the ring into a makeshift necklace and slid it over my head. Nathan did the same. He smiled at my cloudy look.

"It's still there, and I'm still yours," he whispered. I nodded.

We walked off of the porch, and stripped in the woods, tying our clothes securely to our legs. I touched my ring, which hung in the hollow between my breasts, to give me enough room to phase.

We ran. We slept when we wanted to, hunted, stayed wolf. We curled up together each night, sometimes in small groves, other times in wide open fields. Animals gave us a wide berth, because, well, we were giant and we smelled like predators.

We broke through the last bit of woods that morphed into swampland, after taking directions from a highway sign, and saw an open river. We swam; it was about 3 AM and ships weren't going through the inlet at the same time we were.

_There's a bathroom up there, we can dress and pretend we're out for a walk. _I nodded at Nate, scrambling over the jetty that marked the ends of the inlet. I phased, coated in saltwater and dirt, uncomfortable. A tall row of spigots stood, for beachgoers to shower sand away. Nate and I stood underneath the same showerhead, reveling in being human after a week of running wolf. I kissed him for the first time since our wedding day, and I marveled at how I'd been able to survive for that long.

I smirked at him after about five minutes under the sputtering, freezing shower, which wasn't having any effect against our horniness. I kissed him one last time, then scurried away into the ladies' room.

"Use the hand dryers to dry your clothes," I called to him, filling the sink with hot water and hand soap. I scrubbed them lightly, then hung each one on a running hand dryer, pushing the buttons every minute or so, rotating the cotton clothes every few cycles. When they were mostly dry, I tugged them on, then waited outside for Nathan to finish. I looked at my wedding band, glowing gold against my finger in its rightful place.

He was there without me noticing, sliding his hands over my chest and wedding ring.

"I like your shirt," he murmured, "Leah Rowan." I shivered at my name. He eased my shirt up over my stomach, the slightly cooler metal of his ring making me shiver. He dropped to his knees and ran the bridge of his nose up the center of my midriff.

"Nathan," I moaned, "Wait---'til we get to the house." He sighed, dissatisfied, taking my hand and leading me to the edge of the rail that separated the cement from the inlet. He pressed me against the railing, sucking my tongue and biting my lip.

"I love you," he whispered, my tongue curling around his with identical words, my desperation to get closer to him transparent. He sat me on the freezing steel rail, his hands slipping under the back of my shirt.

"That's too long," he panted. "We're not supposed to meet the girl until like...ten. That's completely unacceptable." It was only 3 AM. Waiting until ten sounded exceptionally unacceptable to me with his hands everywhere and my legs wrapped around him.

"Well," I said, a little dizzy, "The realtor said there was a key outside that we could---" He scooped me up, dashing along the boardwalk. Any late night partygoers were on the streets, separated from us by a double row of sleeping houses. I practically heard Nathan's thoughts as he zoomed past another entrance to the beach.

"House," I said softly. "It's our honeymoon."

He groaned his assent.

He placed me down on the steps, digging around several pottery figurines for the key.

"Nate?" I said. He looked up, frenzied. "This side, babe." I plucked the key from the dirt on the other side of the stairs. He snickered as I fit the key into the porch door.

"I want an actual shower first," I whispered, my teeth at his ear as he carried me over the threshold.

"I don't blame you," he grinned. We flicked on lights in the small house until we found the bathroom. I grabbed a bottle of shampoo from the closet; my hair was revolting. We dropped our clothes again, tripping over each other in our attempts to get naked as quickly as possible. I pressed him against the wall as he yanked a hand through my hair. He pushed me off and started lathering my hair with tangerine shampoo, forcing me into the boiling water. While I rinsed, he lathered his hair and body quickly. I laughed at his impatience, but washed off quickly, stepping out to dry. About half of the water evaporated off of me as I quickly toweled off. Nathan picked me up, not bothering to dry himself, and dashed through the house to our bedroom. He set me down lightly on the bed. He clicked on the light and stared at me as I curled on the smooth black sheets. I drank in the sight of him, his golden brown skin and wiry muscled arms, wide, comfortable chest; everything about him made my frame shake with happiness. There was no more hurry. It was just us. Perfectly coordinated, perfectly right. I grinned exultantly and held my hand out to him. I pulled him to my side, as we curled on the bed. We stared into each other's eyes, not speaking any tangible language, just the language of soul mates.

He ran his hand down the side of my face. I closed my eyes as he twisted a strand of my hair, continuing down my neck and down my side. He paid attention to each dip where my ribs were and weren't, and smiled when I twitched ticklishly. His hand finally rested on my hip, the perfect shape for his hand.

We turned face to face. I slowly stroked the smooth lines of his forehead, infinitesimal wrinkles left from too much growth and too much stress. He closed his eyes and made a content noise as I ran the edges of my fingertips over his eyelids, then nose, then lips. He bit my fingertips and I smacked him, smiling. He laughed.

The air thickened, our breathing deepened. I dove into his eyes and never looked back.

"I love you," I said softly, almost crying with happiness and catharsis.

"I love you too," he whispered, same so-happy-it's-almost-painful look on his face. He kissed me gently. My lips snagged on his and sighed open as I turned my head.

We could have laid there for eternity, if his dick hadn't been pressing into my pelvis.

"Leah!" he stuttered as I climbed on top of him.

"I thought you'd be less bashful than this by now," I murmured. He snickered, his mouth occupied.

I didn't say anything.

---------------

When I opened my eyes, he wasn't there. I heard the thrum of the hot water heater and knew he was taking a shower. I stretched out in the empty bed, twisting around the covers as my spine cracked a few times. I couldn't remember our sex ever being so good as it was last night. I was even a little sore. My hands ran down my sides as I stretched, resting absentmindedly on my stomach.

I had Nathan. The tradeoff was worth it. I wasn't a genetic dead end anymore. Because I was complete. It still ached like the dull throb of a day-old migraine, but there was nothing to be done. There was only Nathan for my life, and that was more than I deserved or needed. I rubbed my stomach again, cradling it sadly, lost in a fantasy. _Lily and Alex._

The water squeaked off, and I heard him step out and dry off. I heard the rough fabric of the towel as he rubbed the water off of his skin and his hair.

He walked in, towel still rubbing against his hair, and noticed my hand over my stomach. His face flickered sadly.

"I know," he said, sighing and sitting on the bed. "I wish we could too."

My eyes welled up and I curled into him. He was so perfect, so understanding. Then his stomach roared and I couldn't help but laugh. I stood up, stretching. Nathan handed me some clothes.

"Our box was at the post office," he said, smiling. "I ran down earlier this morning and picked it up."

"Do I have to get dressed?" I sighed, pouting at him and wiping my eyes. I expected him to crumble, but his face darkened.

"Too many windows," he said, clearly upset by the fact. "And the shades suck." I pursed my lips, then went to dig through our box. It was mostly clothes, bathing suits, and toiletries, though there was a chunk of cash and some basic first aid stuff. I pulled out a six-pack of black, giant t-shirts that Nathan had bought to wear. I tore three in half under his incredulous gaze, then handed them to him.

"Go hang these on the windows," I said, smiling mischievously.

He laughed and blushed. When he'd accomplished his task, I skittered in and yanked his boxers down.

--------------

An hour or three later, showered and dressed in a bikini and shorts, I held out my hand to him. We left to go get breakfast, smiling at the rings on our fingers.

We stopped at a beach stand, bought eggs, bacon, and a side of onion rings. The girl raised her eyebrows at our order but agreed. We sat at an empty table, staring into each others' eyes. The girl had to call us at least three times to come and get our food.

It was a cloudy day, with few tourists, only surfers. The water was brisk in early June, and few wanted to come to the small town when the water was so cold.

We walked down the beach, smiling and full. Once we were halfway down the beach, we looked at each other and grinned. I jumped out of my shorts as he stripped off his shirt and we sprinted down the beach towards the crashing waves. We dropped them somewhere on the way as we raced.

I won, of course. But he tackled me, kissing me as we sank, barely submerged.

Win-win.

I flipped him as a wave rolled us closer to the shore. A pair of surfer boys walked past awkwardly, trying to look buff. I just clung to my husband, hearing them whisper as they walked further away.

"Damn, dude, lucky guy."

"Very. That top's not staying on for long," the other added.

Nathan chuckled, reaching back to untie said top.

"Oh Nathan!" I fake groaned, loud enough for them to hear. I watched them glance back, take in the lack of strings on my back and my questionable position, and blush. They walked faster away, gawking back.

We burst into laughter.

"That was good," Nathan said, tying up my top again. I sat up off of him, turning to sit in his lap and look at the ocean. He reached around, fondling me.

We swam awhile, diving underneath waves, letting them pick us up and tumble us through the sand. We were sitting, holding hands, when an idea struck me.

"Let's go to the dog beach," I said, grinning at him.

The dog beach was a crappier strip, further down the inlet, where dogs were allowed to swim.

"You first," Nathan said. I grinned as he pulled at the strings of my top again. I ran off into the marshy grass at the side to phase. I left my clothes there, trotting out after a minute, grinning at him. I dove into the water, digging down deeper and pushing water out of the way. My face broke the surface, and I poked my nose toward Nathan. He grabbed a stick and threw it towards me. I rolled my eyes, but dove for it, springing into the air to catch it.

"I wish I had a picture of that," Nathan sighed. I swam my way back to him. I nosed up to him, shook my fur out all over him, and dropped the stick by his feet. He smiled, rubbing my head. I lifted my head and licked his face.

A jogger started by with an English setter, but the dog balked and the owner slowed when they saw Nathan and I looking at them.

"Wow," the man breathed out, "What breed is he?" I snorted irritatedly. I was a she, thank you very much.

"_She's_a Quiluete wolfhound," Nathan said, ruffling my ears, "Aren't you, Lee-Lee?" I gave a soft bark, then nosed up to the dog cautiously. He skittered back, alarmed. I used all of my dog language to say I was harmless, but it barely worked. He stopped retreating, but didn't come closer. I rolled my eyes.

"She's giant," he said. Nathan nodded, grinning.

"She's a good girl, though. My girl." He smiled at me. I bit at his hand. He pushed at my nose.

"It's my turn," he whispered as the jogger jogged on, the setter yipping and tail between her legs. I bounded off into the marsh again, reemerging human with Nathan by my side.

"Go, Nate!" I whispered, and he coiled and was off like a shot.

"Nathan," I called to him, "You're so pretty." He dove under and reappeared twenty feet further out after about a second. "Come, Nate," I shouted, smiling. I laughed as he dragged himself out of the water, more like a giant drowned rat than anything else. He shook off in a spray that drenched me again.

"We'd better wrap this up before that guy comes back," I said, shooing him into the grass, "I can't come up with a better breed name for you." He barked laughing, then straightened up and laughed for real. His hair was sticking out at every odd angle, and he was half coated in sand.

"Race you home?" I said, swallowing my adoration.

He grinned.

And that was just the first night of our honeymoon.

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**Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. x3 So I think this is an adorable ending for this current story. And make sure you check out Gravity by DarkenedAngel0, cowritten by yours truly and featuring our lovely Leah and Nathan (with Sandy too.) It messes up the sequence we set in this story a bit, but hell, it's worth it for the plot. :) Love you, Claire-bear!**

**Review if you want. :) **


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